By: Hans Themistode
For a number of years now, Demetrius Andrade has urged Jermall Charlo to face him in the ring. With Houston’s Charlo in possession of the WBC middleweight title and Rhode Island’s Andrade holding firmly to the WBO crown, the multiple division titlist would love nothing more than to unify titles. However, despite his public callouts, the two have failed to come to terms on a possible showdown.
Nevertheless, while a matchup against Jermall doesn’t appear to be on the horizon, Andrade has now turned his attention towards his twin brother, Jermell.
“I would like to fight Charlo’s little brother first,” said Andrade to several reporters. “54 Charlo you pop mad shit. Why don’t you come up here to the 160-pound weight class and try to become a two-division world champion. I have it, I have it.”
At one point, when both Jermell and Andrade campaigned at the 154-pound division, the two were set to officially square off. However, due to last-minute financial complaints made by team Andrade, their contest was ultimately canceled.
Still, even with Andrade hoping to rekindle their rivalry, both men have business to attend to. In the case of Charlo, the unified junior middleweight titlist is set to take on WBO champion Brian Castano on February 26th, in Houston, Texas. The two originally battled to a highly controversial split decision draw on July 17th. Should Charlo walk away from their showdown successfully, he’ll become the division’s first undisputed world champion since Winky Wright nearly two decades ago.
As for Andrade, the 33-year-old titleholder has recently been ordered to defend his crown against Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. The Ukrainian star stamped his mandatory title shot with an eighth-round stoppage victory over Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam on November 20th.