Boxing: Lee can take step closer to World dream
Thursday November 12 2009
A EUROPEAN Union middleweight championship opportunity is on the cards if Andy Lee takes care of the current holder of the title, France's Affif Belghecham, in an all-southpaw clash at the University of Limerick Sports Arena on Saturday night.
Belghecham is safeguarding his belt by coming in over the 11st 6lbs limit required for a title fight, but victory for Lee would make him the mandatory challenger for Belghecham, who also holds the French title.
However, the Frenchman looks like being the toughest opponent that Lee has been called on to face in a three-and-a-half year career, in which he has 19 wins and one loss, with 14 either by knockouts or stoppages.
Belghecham may be 35, older than Lee by 10 years, but he has lost only three and drawn one of his 23 fights, and has never been beaten inside the distance, a tribute to his toughness.
On the other hand, Lee was beaten on a technical knockout in seven rounds by the undistinguished American, Brian Vera, some 18 months ago -- and Vera has lost both his fights since, one on a stoppage in eight rounds after being down three times.
Since then, Lee has had four consecutive wins, his last one being an impressive stoppage after eight rounds of the American, Anthony Shuler, in Indiana three months ago.
Last weekend he completed an intensive six-week training session at his New York base, and since coming to Limerick on Monday, he has been tapering off at the university. "The Vera defeat is behind me, and I feel in top form," he said yesterday. "I'll make no mistake this time.
"It's going to be a tough one, but I'm ready for whatever Belghecham brings to the fight. I agree that this looks like being my toughest fight, but if I win, and I'm confident I will, then it would bring me closer to my dream, a world title fight."
As it happens, Belghecham was third choice for Lee. Andy's promoter Brian Peters offered Vera a chance to repeat his win, but he turned it down on the basis that he was committed to US reality TV show, 'The Contender'.
Peters then approached John Duddy, Ireland's other big-name middleweight in the US, but he also said no. The New York-based Derry boxer is committed to a fight in Mexico on December 19 against an unnamed opponent.
In addition, US promoter Bob Arum is talking of matching Duddy with the Mexican, Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, either in New York or on the West Coast, on St Patrick's Day, with the winner getting a world title shot next summer.
"Certainly Saturday's fight is going to be a hard night's work for Andy," said Peters yesterday. "But home advantage is always crucial and Andy will be a very, very hard man to beat in Limerick. I see him as the winner and moving into the world's top 10."
SHORT JABS...
THE attractive support card in Limerick includes lightheavyweight Jamie Power and featherweight Willie Casey, both locals, Mayo lightheavyweight John Waldron and Canadian supermiddleweight Matt O'Brien.
CUBAN bantamweight sensation Alexei Acosta, who is based in Cork, headlines a card at the Holiday Inn in Belfast tomorrow week against an as-yet-unnamed opponent.
- Thomas Myler
Irish Independent
