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Irish Andy Lee Eyes World
Title Shot In 2012
Andy Lee (27W-1L, 19KOs), Irish Kronk middleweight star sees
2012 has the defining year of his professional career and
the fearless Irishman has set his sights on winning a world
title in the next 12 months.
Team Lee strongly believe their fighter has earned his place
to challenge for a world title in 2012, the popular Kronk
fighter is the hottest property in Irish professional boxing
and in recent years has scaled the heights of world
middleweight boxing to be presently positioned in the world
rankings as WBC #6, WBA # 2, and WBO #1.
In March 2011, Lee ranked WBC #14 and WBA #5 signed a
multi-fight promotional agreement with DiBella Entertainment
Inc. with the goal of developing and advancing his career
aspirations. The Kronk fighter believes premier promoter Lou
DiBella will progress his title ambitions and raise his
stock value in boxing from being a world title contender to
being a world champion in 2012.
The Irishman’s debut under the DBE promotional banner took
place on March 12, 2011 and was broadcast live on HBO from
the Foxwood Casino, Connecticut. The fight was an epic
battle dubbed the ‘Celtic War’ against the then unbeaten
world ranked Scotchman Craig McEwan (19W, 1OKOS).
The fight was a barnstormer with both fighters trading heavy
leather from the opening bell. Lee relentless in his
determination and courage throughout the fight caught McEwan
with a devastating overhand left in the 10th round sending
his opponent crashing to the canvas. Referee Steve Stogger,
concerned about the health and well being of McEwan stopped
the fight immediately without a count.
Lee’s next outing was on May 18, 2011 when he won both North
American Boxing Federation (NABF) and North American Boxing
Association (NABA) against the experienced Alex ‘The
Technician’ Bunema at the Donald E. Stephens Convention
Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Using his long right jab the
Kronk fighter effectively kept the durable Bunema (31-7-2,
17 KOs) at long range and in doing so comfortably won every
round of the fight. The judges’ scores were 100-90, 100-90
and 100-90.
The Kronk fighter put on a boxing master class in his last
outing on October 1, 2011 against the tough and resilient
Brian Vera (19-5, 12KOs) at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic
City live on HBO and Sky TV. He systematically broke down
his opponent over 10 rounds using his superior boxing
skills.
Lee controlled the fight by landing beautiful right hooks
and uppercuts and straight left hand power shots. Vera
touched the canvas twice during the fight, but stubbornly
hung in there to the final bell. The ringside judges scored
the contest 99-90, 98-91 and 99-90.
The Kronk fighter falling to his knees when the fight ended
was elated with his win; he had avenged the only loss on his
record to Vera on March 21, 2008 and on a personal level he
was now satisfied he had redeemed himself and banished a
ghost.
The talented Irishman’s impressive performances in 2011 made
an emphatic statement to the belt holders in the
middleweight division that he has the skills and attributes
necessary to challenge for and win a world title.
Lee is penciled in to fight again on Saturday, March 17 at
MSG Theater, New York on a St Patrick’s Day in a gala
evening of Irish boxing with the bout scheduled to be
broadcast live on HBO. He hopes this fight will be the
springboard to land him a world title shot in the 2nd or 3rd
quarter of 2012.
There are a number of world middleweight title contests
planned and scheduled in the 1st quarter of 2012 and Lee
aims to fight one of the winners; Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
defends his WBC belt against Marco Antonio Rubio on February
4, Daniel Geale defends his IBF belt against a yet to be
named opponent on March 7 and Sergio Martinez is due to
defend his WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine belts against
Matthew Macklin on March 17 also at MSG Theater, New York.
Lee commented “I am 28 this June with nearly 30 fights under
my belt; I have grown as a fighter and I am now ready and
prepared to challenge for and win a world title. It is every
boxer’s ambition to be a world champion and I believe this
is my year.
I have positioned myself nicely in the world ratings as a
legitimate world title contender. In boxing what you want,
what you deserve and what you get are all different things.
Boxing is a business as well as a sport and sometimes things
come down to timing and being in the right place at the
right time. I believe I am at that juncture in my career and
I am more than ready for a title shot.
After my fight on March 17, I want to move up the WBC
ratings and capture the #1 spot as the mandatory challenger
to the WBC title. I would relish the opportunity to fight
Martinez, Chavez Jr, Rubio, Macklin or Geale in a
championship fight. I have the skills and power to beat any
of them.”
2011 has been a good year for the ambitious Andy Lee under
the guidance of his respected and astute manager/trainer
Emanuel Steward and his experienced and progressive promoter
Lou DiBella. Two entertaining performances live on HBO is
the perfect platform for the Kronk fighter to move forward
on in 2012.
Lee has been pursuing his date with destiny from when he
first laced up a pair of boxing gloves at the age of 11 back
in 1995. He had a very successful amateur career winning a
host of Irish national titles, multination tournaments, a
Silver medal in the World under 19s in 2002, a European
Bronze senior medal in 2003 and was a 2004 Irish Olympian.
In January 2006, at the age of 21 he left his family and
comfort zone in Ireland and boarded an airplane bound for
the renowned Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, USA with the dream
of someday becoming a world champion.
Since Lee’s pro debut at the famous Joe Louis Arena in
Detroit on March 10, 2006, Emanuel Steward, the boxing
maestro has patiently nurtured and honed the boxing skills
of his pupil and carefully chartered a pathway for his
fighter to become a world title challenger.
The Irish Kronk star in the past 6 years has developed into
a seasoned fighter with an arsenal of weapons, he likes to
mix it at times with his opponents in fights but his
greatest assets are that he can box and he can bang. His
natural tall and rangy physic allows him to box at range,
pick his punches and keep his distance.
Lee is also recognized as one of the strongest and most
effective punchers in the middleweight division with 19 of
his 28 opponents going back to the dressing room early.
Emanuel Steward commented “Andy is presently the most
prominent and visible middleweight contender resident in the
United States at this time; it makes good sporting and
business sense for the television executives, promoters and
sanctioning bodies to stage an Andy Lee world title fight in
2012.
Andy is in the prime of his life and given the opportunity
will give champions like Sergio Martinez and Julio Chavez Jr
all the trouble they want. He is a superior technical boxer
who can punch with both hands. No matter what fight Andy Lee
is in he has the fans on the edge of their seats.”
As the established and #1 Irish fighter in the US, Lee will
certainly attract many supporters and ticket sales from
Irish communities in New York and Ireland for his fight at
MSG Theater on St Patrick’s Day 2012. This is the perfect
stage for ‘Irish Andy Lee’ to launch his world title assault
in the Mecca of boxing with the fanatical Irish crowd
cheering him on from the rafters.
The famous Irish American heavyweight fighter Gerry Cooney
wisely once said “You have a small period of time when you
can perfect your career and become good at it. A lot of guys
get distracted, which only hurts them. You must stay focused
and work very hard at boxing.”
Andy Lee is going to take Gerry Cooney’s advice on board and
use the next period of time to perfect his talent, stay
focussed on the big prize and work very hard at his boxing
so when his time comes in 2012 he will not just be ready to
challenge for a world title, but actually realise his
childhood dream and win a world title.
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