In what is the season finale of ?Friday Night Fights? on ESPN2 from the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN, undefeated junior middleweight prospect Demetrius Andrade, who has been the source of some criticism for facing rather soft opposition early in his career, faces the always dangerous wild card, Grady Brewer- the very same Brewer who upset the applecart in handing Fernando Guerrero his first professional loss earlier this summer.
Ironically, the most vocal of Andrade?s critics, ESPN2?s color commentator, Teddy Atlas, won?t even be ringside to witness this fight, as he?s in Russia training heavyweight Alexander Povetkin. However, Atlas wasn?t the only one to question the matchmaking for Andrade. There is a belief that a fighter of his amateur pedigree (who was considered the most talented member of the enigmatic 2008 U.S. Olympic squad) doesn?t need to be handled with such kid gloves.
Of the critics, Andrade told Maxboxing last week, “It didn?t bother me; it?s part of the game. People been waiting to see me step up. This is a good opportunity.” Brewer seemed like the perfect guy in which to make a statement after he stopped Guerrero in four on June 17th in Austin, Texas. “Yeah, I thought it would put me in a good position after he just beat Guerrero, so I figured this could be a good step-up fight.”
