IT’S OFFICIAL – Luke Keeler Demetruis Andrade’s WBO world middleweight title confirmed
Finally it’s been made official Luke Keeler [17(5)-2(1)-1] will challenge Demetruis Andrade [28(17)-0] for his WBO middleweight world title on Super Bowl weekend.
The exciting news has been a long time coming with positive rumour with regard the fight leaking for months.
Indeed, the Ballyfermot middleweight has been linked to the American ever since his impressive victory over Luis Arias in early August.
It was widely known both parties had been in talks for sometime and when the WBO governing body revealed that they have sanctioned a fight between the duo during their ratings meeting in Tokyo, Irish fight fans got really excited.
“Andrade will fight Keeler in a voluntary, We will allow that. The winner of that will be ordered to face the mandatory challenger as designated by the WBO,” Francisco Valcarcel, president of the WBO confirmed at the WBO Convention.
However, there was still an element of fingers crossed as official conformation hadn’t arrived. Fans were waiting for word from Eddie Hearn who promotes the champion or MTK who look after Keeler.
MIAMI LET’S GO!!! Another purpose built Stadium this time for a big World Championship triple header on SuperBowl weekend live on @DAZN_USA #AndradeKeeler #FarmerDiaz #RomanAkhmadaliev 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/oGkmNtJblK
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) December 13, 2019
That word came in the early hours of this morning when Matchroom confirmed a ‘Miami Fight Night’ card.
Among the three fights confirmed was a bout between Keeler and the unbeaten WBO title holder.
The other slated fights on the card see former Jono Carroll and James Tennyson foe Tevin Farmer defend his IBF super featherweight world title against JoJo Diaz – and former TJ Doheny opponent Daniel Roman defending his super bantamweight world titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
The fights will play out at Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on Thursday January 30, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.
It means Irish fight fans have two massive middleweight clashes to look forward to in January. Just a month after Dennis Hogan challenged for the WBC middleweight crown in Brooklyn, Spike O’Sullivan fights Jaime Munguia in Texas [January 11] and Keeler fights for the WBO world title just weeks later.
It’s massive for Keeler who has worked the hard way to get to the world stage and now has the chance to put his name in the history books by winning a world title once held by Steve Collins and Andy Lee.
