The vacant WBO middleweight title is up for grabs as Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade takes on Walter “The Executioner” Kautondokwa this Saturday at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. This is a battle between two undefeated boxers with Andrade Sportsbook as a -1600 favorite while Kautondokwa comes back at +800.
This was originally supposed to be a fight between Andrade and Billy Joe Saunders, but Saunders, who was the WBO middleweight champ, tested positive for a performance enhancer and has vacated the title. Kautondokwa stepped up on late notice and is looking to take the world by storm. The Namibia native has only once fought outside of his home country and this will be his first fight on U.S. soil. Andrade has been favored in each of his last four fights by an average of -1142.
Breaking down Andrade and Kautondokwa
Andrade (-1600) was the former WBO light middleweight champion and is a good defensive boxer with good footwork. Although he is undefeated at 25-0 and has 16 wins via T/KO, he lacks true one-punch knockout power. The southpaw has often been a slow starter and sometimes just seemingly never kicks it into a high gear offensively, but his movement and selective strikes have allowed him to earn decision victories and remain undefeated. That being said, when Boo Boo is on his A game, he can put together impressive combinations and can really wear down his opponents.
Kautondokwa (+800) is a relatively unknown fighter, having never fought outside of Africa and only once fighting outside of his native country, Namibia. The Executioner does have a perfect 17-0 record with 16 wins coming by knockout, with only his debut in 2013 going to the judges’ scorecards. The orthodox fighter obviously has power in both hands but this will be a huge step up in competition and he’ll be performing under the bright lights at TD Garden, so the question is how well will The Executioner adapt to his new surroundings?
It is a very difficult fight to handicap with a lack of information on Kautondokwa, but possessing knockout power always keeps a boxer in the bout. Also, we have seen Andrade start slowly, which could land him in trouble with a knockout specialist. However, punching power is one thing but boxing ability and defensive skills are crucial at this level and Andrade has already reached the Sportsbook in the sport by holding the WBO light middleweight title and was a true challenger to undefeated Billy Joe Saunders.
Prediction: Demetrius Andrade (-1600) via decision
- Demetrius Andrade -1600
- Walter Kautondokwa +800
