After 10 years together, two world titles and a lot of ups and downs, former two-time junior middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade was granted a release from his contract when he bought out co-promoters Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing and Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions on Thursday
Terms of the buyout were not disclosed.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/...buys-co-promoters-joe-deguardia-artie-pelullo
It was quite clear this was Mr. Andrade's intention since 2015, when he expressed a strong desire in signing with the Al Haymon boxing managment firm:
https://www.boxingscene.com/demetrius-andrade-wants-al-haymon-opportunities--89634
Junior middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade is in a division where eight of the top 11 fighters are signed with powerful boxing adviser Al Haymon.
Andrade, however, is not. And that, he feels, is keeping him from getting bouts with many of those names.
“A lot of promoters like to monopolize the boxing world and want to control each side of the ring and have both fighters fight each other and win at the end of the day,” Andrade said. “That’s just business.”
For Andrade to be able to get the big fights he wants, then, he would have to be part of Haymon’s team.
“I would love to be with someone like Al Haymon. Would I like to sign with Al Haymon? Yes, I would admit and say yes,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to sign with Al Haymon? The opportunities with Al Haymon are incredible. There’s no limitations to it. He can get anything done as long as you’re producing wins and giving the people what you want.
“He has all the top guys at 154, 147, even at 160, that will be great competition for me and for the viewers. But for me to get them fights, I have to be within that circle. If not, I’m going against the grain,” he said. Andrade clarified that he would not go down to welterweight, but that some of those names could come up to junior middleweight to face him. Andrade is open to fighting at 154 and 160, he said.
Haymon’s “Premier Boxing Champions” series of shows is being aired on numerous networks, with HBO being the notable exception. HBO does have the right of last refusal on Andrade, he said, which means that it could choose to match or exceed a competing bid for Andrade’s next fight.
Andrade is currently co-promoted by Star Boxing and Banner Promotions. He’s been with them for nearly seven years but wouldn’t delve into how much longer that contract has.
“Me talking about what I think would be better for me should never hurt anything I say towards the promoter or the manager,” he said. “I’m just seeing what everybody else sees and what’s going on in the sport of boxing. That’s it.”
what a dumbazz