Steward predicts Lee KO over Chavez

By Boxing News - 06/15/2012 - Comments

Image: Steward predicts Lee KO over Chavez(Photo: Zanfer Boxing) By John F. McKenna (McJack): Famed trainer Emanuel Steward thinks that his fighter Andy Lee (28-1, 20 KO’s) is the real deal and is not shy about saying so. Lee will face WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (45-0-1, 31 KO’s) on Saturday night at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

Steward does believe the fight will go to the scorecards saying that Andy will knock out the WBC champion in eight or nine rounds.

It is common for trainers to say and predict big things for their fighter in the lead up to a big fight. But Manny Steward is not your average trainer and he has been saying for a considerable period of time that the native of Ireland has a bright future. Interestingly Steward maintains that Lee has too much experience for Chavez to cope with.

Steward was quoted in “BOXING INSIDER” saying:

“I think eight, nine rounds it will be over. We’ve been training for a knockout and we’re ready. Andy will knock him out. We’re not worried about a decision.

“He has too much experience. Andy’s got a lot of experience from the Olympics, the World Juniors and all the other tournaments he took part in as an amateur.

Lee is definitely a talented lefthander who through working with Manny has trained with some of the top fighters in the world for the past six years including WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Lee has also worked with WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and former champs Jermain Taylor and Kermit Cintron. One of the other points Steward brought up is that unlike in most of his fights, Chavez at 6’0” will be at a height disadvantage against the 6’2” Lee.

Steward acknowledges that the bond he has with Lee runs deeper than with any of the past fighters he has trained including Tommy Hearns. A father and son relationship evolved after Lee moved into Steward’s Detroit home. Steward was on a speaking tour in England and Ireland when he met Lee. They immediately hit it off, which eventually led to Andy moving in with Steward.

Manny is flying in from Austria where he is helping to prepare Wladimir Klitschko for his upcoming fight with Tony Thompson on July 7 in Berne, Switzerland. Immediately after Lee’s fight with Chavez, Steward will be returning to Austria for the remainder of Wladimir’s training camp.



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