By Sean McDaniel: Middleweight contender Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KO’s) will be looking to get revenge for a 7th round TKO loss to Bryan Vera (17-5, 11 KO’s) on February 4th, if the fight can be put together. The word is Lee wants the fight and is looking to avenge his loss from two years ago against Vera. In that fight, Lee had Vera hurt in the 1st round but was unable to take him out.

Vera then started punishing Lee with right hands in the 6th and 7th rounds and had him staggering in the 7th from repeated right hands when the fight was stopped by referee Tony Chiarantano. Lee has since won his last nine bouts, albeit against 2nd tier opposition.

It’s not quite as an appealing fight now compared to if Lee had immediately attempted to avenge his defeat, because Vera has lost four out of his last five fights and is struggling ever since being taken out in the 8th round by the hard hitting James Kirkland in November 2008. Lee won’t accomplish much if he gets a win now, because Vera doesn’t seem to be the same fighter he was when they fought in March 2008.

Lee is currently ranked #8 WBA & #15 WBC in the middleweight division. However, he doesn’t look as if he’s improved any from the loss to Vera, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets stopped again. Vera knows how to beat him and his right hand is just as powerful now as it was then.

Lee tends to stand straight up when he fights, and has no head movement. He’s going to have to be a little more elusive if he wants to win this fight because he gets hit with too many flush shots for his own good. And with his skinny neck, his head really shakes when he gets tagged. I can’t really see Lee ever winning a title.

Lee will be fighting next on December 11th on the undercard of the Wladimir Klitschko fight at the SAP-Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.