Demetrius Andrade, unbeaten and unappreciated, is in Miami this week for a bout Thursday on DAZN that promoters hope will get some attention from the media mob gathered for Super Bowl LIV.
It doesn’t always work that way. Don King staged a card in Phoenix in 1996, a couple of days before the Dallas Cowboys’ 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe.
It was a good card, noteworthy for Bernard Hopkins’ stoppage of Steve Frank in the second defense of a middleweight title he would go on to defend 18 more times for a record 20 straight. But nobody was there. The Super Bowl does more than attract attention. It dominates in a way that shoves everything else off stage.
Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) makes a third middleweight title defense against Luke Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KOs) of Ireland at the Meridian at Island Gardens. But it might be out of sight. Out of mind. Media are waiting only for the San Francisco 49ers-Kansas City Chiefs kickoff.
One day, maybe the bout will be remembered as significant. Andrade, who signed a four-fight extension with Matchroom this week, hopes so. He goes into the bout fighting to get some respect from the acknowledged middleweight champions.
Canelo Alvarez has called him boring. Instead of Andrade, Canelo reportedly is talking about Cinco de Mayo in Japan against Ryota Murata, who holds a secondary belt.
“That’s his business, not mine’’ Andrade told Boxing Social at a news conference Monday in Miami. “Canelo wants to do what he does. Everyone knows he’s been trying to figure out obstacles, other ways, to get away from me. It’s all good.”
The immediate business is Keeler, who has called Andrade “delusional.” The former U.S. Olympian from Rhode Island, Keller says, is overlooking him.
“Delusional?’’ said Andrade, who won his middleweight belt in October 2018. “That’s a good one. I’ll give Luke credit where it’s due. It’s hard to get people in the ring with me, and it’s his first world title fight. I’m expecting him to bring his A-game.
“I’m bringing mine too, as I know what it’s like. I’ve been to the Olympics and to me there’s no bigger platform, but this is a massive stage.’’
Big enough for Andrade to deliver a threatening promise.
Said Andrade: “I’m going to give him the beating of his life.’’