Demetrius Andrade has successfully retained his WBO middleweight championship with a resounding victory over Artur Akavov in New York City; albeit one that was stopped in controversial fashion in the final round.
The Providence native dominated from the outset, showcasing surgical accuracy from the southpaw stance and maintaining a measured pace as he was able to consistently pressure his Russian counterpart throughout a largely one-sided twelve rounds.
Akavov’s liveliness and awkwardness failed to present any significant problems for Andrade, in stark contrast to the Russian’s performance against Billy-Joe Saunders in Paisley two years ago, where the then-defending champion was nearly pushed all the way in a thoroughly competitive points win.
Instead, Andrade’s speed and sharpness with his lead right hand, coupled with the accuracy of his straight left, prevented the circling Akavov from sustaining any meaningful offensive work to combat the mounting deficit on the scorecards.
At times, Andrade showcased some spiteful intent by mixing it up with some combinations downstairs, however Akavov successfully managed to spoil on the inside before continuing to backpedal.
The American was ultimately able to produce the stoppage he desired, however, as the referee spontaneously opted to call a halt to proceedings in the twelfth round of a fight where Andrade was unquestionably in control but also one where the challenger never looked to be in any serious trouble.
Article by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan_______