Easy Work For Andrade In Decision Win Over Fox on HBO

Demetrius Andrade made his entry full-on to the middleweight division Saturday night from Verona, NY and on HBO, and had no difficulty in his acclimation fight.

Andrade, age 29, a solid talent who has been on milk cartons because of promotional issues—he’d been approached by Roc Nation while still signed with Joe DeGuardia and Art Pelullo, it seems—was able to solve Alantez Fox, age 25, without too much worry.

Fox hurt his shoulder early and after getting tagged hard in round one, had some zip removed from his arsenal. The win wasn’t showy and on Sunday, Andrade’s name isn’t buzzing about but that doesn’t mean he won’t be given a career signature opportunity. It would make sense to maybe see him and Danny Jacobs, new to the HBO stable, facing off, would it?

Mark Fratto announced the fighters and we got cooking in round one. Fox has three or four inches on Andrade, but was looking at a lefty. A left hand knocked Fox backward 20 seconds in and Boo Boo attacked. Fox blocked and grabbed and collected himself. He even fought back, to show he wasn’t diminished prey. But he just didn’t throw enough as the fight progressed, to 1) try and get Boo Boo out and/or 2) tell the judges he wanted it more. He indicated after the shoulder was not in good shape..

A lead right, or more right hands to take advantage of an open lane would have maybe aided the Fox effort but it wasn’t to be. Andrade isn’t a volume type and he’s a smart and savvy sort who won’t take risks to please the tix buyers. He’ll need to be forced into that down the line.

To the home stretch, we saw Fox, after being credited with a knockdown in round 7 off a Boo Boo slip.  unable to try to change the game with his power right, because he was hurt. Boo Boo didn’t get crazy or really open up, as Fox didn’t have the look of diminished prey, beyond not throwing the right when the time called for it.

To the cards we went, with no drama bubbling…118-109, 118-110, and a too close 116-111 from Don Ackerman…Andrade had the W, Mark Fratto told us. Harold Lederman liked Fox’ work more in round seven only, for the record, making it 10-8.

Andrade went 158-572, not a super stellar connect percentage, and Fox 52-301.

Andrade went to 25-0 and Fox dropped to 23-1-1.