Tyson Fury has branded a super-middleweight fighter as the most avoided man in the sport.
It’s a big title considering many fans feel that there are plenty of fighters who are avoided in boxing, it being one of the only sports that the best competitors can sit on the sidelines for so long.
The WBC Heavyweight Champion’s pick though, may come as a surprise to some. He told Seconds Out that Demetrius Andrade was a bonafide bogeyman.
“I’ll tell you someone we need to mention but never gets a mention – and he’s the bogeyman in all the divisions and he needs a shot at something big – Boo Boo Andrade.”
Andrade was the WBO super welterweight champion from 2013 to 2015 before moving up to 160lb and winning the WBA (Regular) and WBO middleweight belts. He’s undefeated in a 32 fight career with 19 knockouts, and is supremely confident in what he can do.
It turns out, so is Fury. He continued to sing the praises of the Rhode Island fighter.
“Bogeyman! Bogeyman! The man’s a two-weight world champion and he will box the ears off anyone who has the bollocks to get in the ring with him. Give the man a shot at something good.
He’s moved up now, hasn’t he? 168. So you’ve got Caleb Plant, you’ve got David Benavidez, Charlo. Get them all in. Give the man a chance. He’s 33, 34 year old … he hasn’t boxed any of these names and not on his own problem. It’s the other names don’t want to fight him.”
“Most avoided man in boxing.”
He has faced criticism from fans in the past for not targetting big fights but, according to Fury, it’s the other way round.
As ‘The Gypsy King’ mentioned, there are big names in the division that he’ll be targetting – not least Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez when he breaks free of his flirtation with light heavyweight. The pair had an entertaining back and forth at a press conference in 2021.