Andrade outclasses Hernandez on ShoBox

Demetrius Andrade outclassed Freddy Hernandez over 10 rounds in the main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation card at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, N.Y., on Friday. The 24-year-old 2008 U.S. Olympian scored a knockdown en route to unanimous scores of 100-89.

Andrade (19-0, 13 knokcouts), a skilled junior middleweight prospect, completely dominated Hernandez, dropping the Mexican veteran in the sixth round and heaping punishment on the gatekeeper down the stretch of the one-sided fight.

Andrade needed to make a statement against Hernandez (30-4, 20 KOs) and the talented southpaw did.

The Providence, R.I., native was one of the most accomplished U.S. amateurs in recent years and perhaps the most highly touted member of America’s 2008 Olympic squad. But the rangy 6-foot-1 boxer hadn’t lived up to his hype as a pro. Although Andrade was unbeaten in 18 starts coming into the Hernandez bout, he had been matched relatively “light” and seldom showed fire during his fights.

Andrade, who replaced his father with BWAA Trainer of the Year Virgil Hunter prior to Friday’s fight, finally exhibited some “heat” against Hernandez, a hardnosed 33-year-old grinder who holds victories over former titleholders Mike Anchondo, DeMarcus Corely and Luis Collazo.

Andrade controlled Hernandez with his jab and straight left in the early rounds of the bout before taking the fight to his aggressive opponent in the middle of the fight. Andrade was just as effective inside, where he dropped fast body-head combinations and gave the befuddled Hernandez angles.

Andrade also periodically switched to an orthodox stance with much success. The sixth-round knockdown, which was scored with chopping overhand right to Hernandez's ear, was delivered from a right-handed stance.

Andrade, who landed 43 percent of his total punches and nearly 60 percent of his power shots, clearly gunned for a stoppage in the late rounds, piling on punches in the ninth – which ended with Hernandez walking into a buzzing right uppercut – and by applying pressure early in the 10^th and final round. But Hernandez hung in there until the final bell.

The victory proved that Hunter is a good fit for Andrade and the 2007 world amateur champion has a good shot at winning the same honors in the pro ranks.

In the co-featured bout of the Showtime broadcast, Emmanuel Taylor stopped Raymond Serrano in the sixth round of a matchup of once-beaten junior welterweight prospects who began their careers as welterweights.

Taylor (16-1, 11 KOs), a 22-year-old Maryland native, won his second bout in a row since dropping a split decision to Prentis Brewer in November of 2011.

Serrano (18-2, 8 KOs), a 23-year-old Philadelphian, lost his second consecutive fight by stoppage. He suffered a fifth-round TKO to Karim Mayfield last May.

Photo / Tom Casino-SHOWTIME