By Scott Gilfoid: After seeing Matthew Macklin (30-5, 20 KO’s) struggle badly to beat a very average little known Lamar Russ last Saturday night, #12 WBA middleweight contender Andy Lee (31-2, 22 KO’s) is suddenly showing a great deal of interest in taking on the now 2nd tier Macklin.
In truth, both of these guys’ stock has plummeted in the past year due to devastating defeats, and neither are ranked in the top 5 anymore. To be honest, things are looking mighty bleak for Lee and Macklin at this point, and a fight between them might be about as good as it gets right now because title shots could a long ways off.
“Matthew and I have both fought recently, we’re both from Ireland, we’re both middleweights, we’re similarly rated, we’re both in a similar position in our careers. So let’s give the boxing public the fight they crave for and let the best man win,” Lee said to Sky Sports.
Is Lee serious? Does he really think Lee-Macklin is the fight that the boxing public craves for? I think Lee’s a few years off in his estimation of what the boxing public wants to see. There might have been a mild amount of interest for a Macklin vs. Lee fight three years ago, but with Macklin getting beaten by Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez, and Gennady Golovkin, the interest in a Macklin-Lee fight isn’t what I would call high right now.
As for Lee, he was stomped last year in losing by a 7th round TKO against former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June of 2012. That fight came after 4 years of pretty much soft nothing but soft touches for Lee. He fought one halfway decent opponent in Brian Vera and was able to avenge his loss to him from 2008. But against Chavez Jr., Lee was a hopeless case with his inability to follow simple instructions from his trainer the late Emanuel Steward. He wanted Lee to box Chavez Jr., but instead he got in the trenches with him and was mowed down in 7 rounds.
As bad as Macklin looked in beating Russ last Saturday night, I would have to favor Lee by knockout to beat Macklin. But it’s a fight that would prove nothing other than Lee being able to beat a 2nd tier fighter. Lee isn’t going to be able to beat the champions at 160 like Sergio Martinez, Peter Quillin, Felix Sturm or Gennady Golovkin. Those guys are too good for him and would knock him out if and when he would get a fight against one of them.
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