Former WBO junior middleweight titleholder Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade is set to make his return to the ring on October 17, when he faces Argentina's Dario Pucheta at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, in a 10-round main event.
Andrade (21-0, 14 KO) was stripped of his WBO belt about two months ago, after being caught in the middle of a lawsuit between co-promoters Artie Pellulo and Joe DeGuardia and Roc Nation Sports, which claimed that Roc Nation intentionally interfered with Andrade while he was under contract. The October 17 card is being promoted by Jimmy Burchfield and CES Boxing.
"The cream always rises to the top. I'm going to show that I'm the best 154-pounder in the world," Andrade said at a media workout. "It's been frustrating. This is something I've been doing since I was six and not to do it has been tough. I've tried to stay positive, working hard in the gym to stay in shape, but sparring in a gym is different than being in a fight when your opponent is trying to take your head off. October 17th, people will see what I'm truly made of."
Andrade, 27, won the vacant WBO belt in November 2013 by beating Vanes Martirosyan, and made one defense against Brian Rose in June 2014. Late last year, Andrade bailed out of a proposed fight with Jermell Charlo over money.
Pucheta (20-2, 11 KO) doesn't figure to be a serious test for the former titleholder, though he did go on the road to Namibia to stop Bethuel Ushona, who isn't a bad fighter, in his last outing in October 2014. The 28-year-old has mostly competed in club fights at home in Argentina, and has lost a couple of those.
"My opponent has come all the way from Argentina to win," Andrade said of Pucheta. "This is a tough business and to be 20-2 takes a lot of heart and guts. This is an opportunity for to make a statement. He's hungry and believes because a win over me will make a name for him."
With this fight being for two vacant regional belts from the WBA and WBO, Andrade is hoping that a win will get him ranked in the top 15 with those organizations, so that he can quickly find his way back to the world title scene. He also wants to look impressive, even without television, so that he can get himself back in demand for bigger fights.
"I've had some bumps in the road and it took a year to get settled. I haven't suffered any damage in the ring. I feel good. The fans are going to say that they need to see a lot more of Demetrius Andrade."