Demetrius Andrade signs four-fight extension with Matchroom

Matchroom Boxing have announced that WBO middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade has signed a four-fight extension with the company, a week ahead of his next title defense on Thursday, Jan. 30.

The 31-year-old Andrade (28-0, 17 KO) will face Ireland’s Luke Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KO) next week in what isn’t, frankly, expected to be much of a competition. The Providence, Rhode Island native Andrade won the WBO 160-pound belt in Oct. 2018, beating Walter Kautondokwa for the vacated belt, and has since defended easily against Artur Akavov and Maciej Sulecki.

DAZN and Matchroom have pushed Andrade hard as a sort of “bogeyman” fighter at 160, but it’s done nothing to gain him any serious momentum landing a fight with Canelo Alvarez or Gennadiy Golovkin, as best anyone can tell.

But Andrade still has those marquee fights in mind as he moves forward with Matchroom.

“We have had a great 18 months and we’ve got plans to have an even bigger 2020 and 2021,” Andrade said. “I’ve matured in the ring as I’ve been more active, and sometimes I think, if these guys had fought me before they might have had a better chance against me, but now they are giving me the time to sign with Eddie and DAZN, get active and fight four times, sharpen the tools and get the ring rust off. So, when it comes their time, it’s going to be hell for them!

“As long as I am building my legacy, performing the way I need to perform and people are loving my style and the things I am doing, I am not worried about anything else as the fans are going to start demanding that these guys fight me.”

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, too, will continue to push for his fighter to get the big opportunities.

“I am thrilled to have signed an extension to Demetrius’ deal with Matchroom Boxing USA,” said Hearn. “Demetrius is one of the best 160-pound fighters in the world and now is the time to deliver him the fights against the other elite middleweights in the division.”