BOSTON (AP) — Because Demetrius Andrade's next fight is in Boston against a British fighter, he decided to wear an American Revolutionary War uniform on Friday for the news conference to announce the fight.
"The Redcoats are here!" Andrade shouted at the media availability at the historic Quincy Market for the Oct. 20 fight at the new Boston Garden against World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Replied Saunders: "I'm knocking you out."
The 28-year-old Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) is making the fifth defense of the WBO title he won from Andy Lee at the end of 2015. For his first professional fight in the U.S., he will face a former two-time junior middleweight champion from Providence, Rhode Island.
Both fighters competed in the welterweight division of the 2008 Olympics. Andrade (25-0, 16 KO) lost in the quarterfinals and Saunders was eliminated in the second round.
"We're giving you guys the best fight in boxing," the 30-year-old Andrade said. "Billy Joe, he is a great fighter, undefeated. He can fight. He's a southpaw. But I've always come through. Never have I failed to come out without the victory. It will be an entertaining fight and an entertaining fight leading up to the fight."
Andrade previously held the WBO and World Boxing Association titles at 154 pounds. He won the WBO title in 2013 against Vanes Martirosyan but the WBO later stripped him for inactivity. He captured the WBA title last year against Jack Culcay and gave up the title to move to up middleweight.
"The two main men at middleweight are Canelo (Alvarez) and (Gannady) Golovkin," Saunders said. "Neither of them really want to fight me or this man. There is a smoke and a mist around the middleweight division and when it clears I'll be there. It seems that me and this man have to fight to prove who is No. 1."
Alvarez, who held world titles at junior middleweight, and Golovkin, who holds WBA, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Organization middleweight titles, are facing each other on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.
After feeling like he was passed over for lucrative fights against the top fighters at 154 and 160 pounds, Andrade now has his first fight since October, a non-title win against Alentez Fox.
"My time is here and the champ is right here," Andrade said.
Saunders vs. Andrade is one of three world title fights on the card, which will be broadcast on the streaming service DAZN.
Katie Taylor, who won the gold medal for Ireland in 2012, is defending her WBA and IBF lightweight titles against Cindy Serrano (27-5-3, 10 KOs), of New York.
"She's a very experienced opponent," said Taylor (10-0, 5 KOs). "She's very aggressive. It will be an exciting fight."
In the third world title fight, Tevin Farmer (26-4-1, 5KOs), of Philadelphia, will be making the first defense of his IBF super featherweight title against James Tennyson (22-2, 18 KOs), of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
