Saunders vs Andrade: Deal reached, fight likely in October

Promoters for WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders and mandatory challenger Demetrius Andrade have reached a deal, and the fight looks like it’s headed for the east coast on October 20.

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who promotes Andrade, had a card slated that night for Los Angeles, but is going to relocate it if this all comes together as currently planned.

Saunders (26-0, 12 KO) has been inactive through 2018, following a December 2017 win on HBO over David Lemieux. That victory created some buzz for Saunders, but he’s failed to capitalize on it. He had two dates with Martin Murray earlier this year, both canceled due to Saunders injury, officially.

It’s thought by most, it seems, that Saunders pulled out of the second date in hopes of landing a fall fight with Gennady Golovkin, who instead came to terms to rematch Canelo Alvarez on September 15, leaving Saunders without a fight.

The WBO recently ordered the bout with Andrade (25-0, 16 KO), a former junior middleweight titleholder who last fought in October 2017, moving up to 160 with a win over Alantez Fox. Andrade just signed with Matchroom as part of its big move into American boxing with the DAZN streaming service, which launches in September in the States.

Who do you like in this fight?