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Andy Lee Returns In
Belfast Feb. 9
Irish middleweight, Andy Lee (28W-2L, 20KOs) will return to
the ring against Dubliner Anthony Fitzgerald (13W-3L, 1 KO)
on February 9, 2013 at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena live on Sky
Sports in Betfair’s ‘Unfinished Business’ boxing event.
This will be Lee’s first outing since he suffered a
seventh-round stoppage when he gallantly challenged Julio
Cesar Chavez Jr for the WBC middleweight title on June 16 in
El Paso, Texas. Before the stoppage Lee was ahead on all
judges’ scorecards.
In recent months Lee has relocated his training base to
London from Detroit to be trained by one of the most
respected and sought after boxing trainers in the UK, Adam
Booth.
“It is a new start for me over here,” Lee explained. “I was
in America for a long time. I fought for a World title but
it didn’t work out so I felt I needed a fresh start and for
me to come back here and train with Adam has been a fresh
start.”
“If I had stayed over there I would have stayed in the same
place physically and metaphorically in my career as well.
When you fight for World titles and don’t succeed you have
to ask yourself why you didn’t succeed and you have to
evaluate things. I felt like I had gone as far as I could in
Detroit and the only way forward was to change things.”
“It was tough losing my friend and trainer Emanuel Steward
on October 25, 2012. I trained with Emanuel, lived with him
and was very close with him. Before he was sick I had
already made my mind up to maybe try things with a new
trainer. Unfortunately he was sick and passed away and that
was a tough loss for me and everybody who was close to him.”
“To get back to World title fights I have to win fights, it
is as simple as that. We need one or two fights and then
maybe fight one of the best lads from the British scene and
that will put me right back in the mix and in touch of a
title. I am not a million miles away, three or four fights
and I am back in contention.”
Lee is presently ranked WBC # 7 and WBA #9 sees this fight
opening doors in the UK and Ireland for domestic fights with
fighters like Matthew Macklin, Darren Barker or Martin
Murray and also complementing and progressing his boxing
career in the USA.
Lee knows that the tough and durable Anthony Fitzgerald will
be no walk in the park and with Irish pride on the line it
will be an entertaining fight for the Irish fans.
The blockbuster Belfast bill is headlined by Carl Frampton’s
shot at the European super bantamweight title against Kiko
Martinez and also includes Belfast’s Martin Lindsay’s
British and Commonwealth featherweight title challenge
against Lee Selby.
Floor and tiered seats are on sale from the Odyssey Arena
website www.odysseyarena.com priced £30, £40 and £60, while
Ringside tickets at £100 and Inner-Ringside VIP tickets at
£150 are both available from Matchroom Boxing’s website
www.matchroomboxing.com
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