Demetrius Andrade thought the world of the late Muhammad Ali

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Demetrius Andrade/Photo courtesy of Banner Promotions

 

Junior middleweight Demtrius Andrade this past Saturday ran his record to 23-0 with 16 knockouts by decking Willie Nelson four times, eventually stopping Nelson in the 12th round at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.

A few days before the fight, Andrade was asked to talk about Muhammad Ali. By the time Andrade was done, it was easy to determine what he thought of Ali, who died June 3 at age 74.

“Muhammad Ali certainly shook the world, and not only in boxing,” Andrade said. “He was colorful; nobody talked like him. He helped boxers, too. Ali is the reason Floyd (Mayweather, Jr.) is who he is because Ali set the bar high.

“As an entertaining boxer, Ali brought blacks and whites together and later he spread the word about religion, culture and his other diverse interests.”
There was one more thing.
“What young boxer didn’t do the Ali Shuffle?” Andrade said. “I know I did, and taunted my opponents like him, too.”

Andrade, 28, is from Providence, R.I. He is a former WBO champion who was stripped of his belt for inactivity.

 

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