By John Curran: The recent announcement by Adam Booth to join Team Eubank slams the door shut to a future contest between Andy Lee and Chris Eubank Jnr. It appears, from comments made by Adam Booth, the career trajectory of both middleweights are like that of two ships passing in the night, rapidly moving in opposite directions. The metaphor is my own, while the observation that of Adam Booth.
Andy Lee
Saunders suffers cut in sparring, Andy Lee fight postponed – again!
By Scott Gilfoid: Bad luck continues to follow the fight between WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) and Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12 KOs). Saunders, 26, reportedly suffered a cut over one of his eyes during sparring for his October 10th fight, and the fight will now need to be postponed again, according to Boxing News Online.
The Lee-Saunders fight will now be rescheduled for either November or December depending on the estimated healing time for the cut.
Lee-Saunders winner is the backup plan for Golovkin if Canelo-Cotto winner runs away
By Dan Ambrose: Trainer Abel Sanchez says that he believes that the winner of the Miguel Cotto vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight on November 21st will likely run away from a fight against WBC No.1 mandatory challenger Gennady Golovkin rather than taking the fight against him next year. Sanchez, who trains Golovkin, says it doesn’t matter if the Cotto-Canelo fight decides to dash away from the Golovkin fight, because they’ll be giving up the WBC middleweight title in the process.
That’s the belt that Golovkin is after. He doesn’t care if they both avoid him. He just wants the WBC 160lb title. The World Boxing Council president Mauricio Suliaman has already said that the winner of the Cotto vs. Canelo fight must fight Golovkin next if they want to keep the belt.
Andy Lee: Saunders is going to have to punch with me
By Scott Gilfoid: WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) isn’t too worried about the change of date and venue for his title defense against No.1 WBO Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12 KOs). Lee expects to be able to get the better of Saunders regardless of where the fight is staged. The fight will be taking place on October 10th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK.
The fight was originally scheduled for September 19th in Limerick, Ireland. However, Lee came down with a virus, which made it necessary for the fight to be postponed until October. It’s unclear why the fight was moved from Ireland to Manchester, but I think it’ll work out favorably for Lee because with the fight being staged in England, it means that the crowd will be pro-Saunders all the way.
Flanagan vs. Magdaleno & Soro vs. Smith on Lee-Saunders card
By Scott Gilfoid: WBO 135lb champion Terry Flanagan (28-0, 11 KOs) will be making his first defense of his WBO lightweight strap on October 10th against #1 WBO Diego Magdaleno (28-1, 12 KOs) on the undercard of the Andy Lee vs. Billy Joe Saunders card at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK. The fight card will be televised on BoxNation in the UK.
The hulking 5’9 ½” southpaw Flanagan is coming off of a 2nd round injury stoppage of knockout artist Jose Zepeda last July. Rather than give the injured Zepeda a badly needed rematch, Flanagan is moving on and will be facing American Magdaleno in his next fight.
Andy Lee – Billy Joe Saunders moved to October 10th in Manchester, UK
By Scott Gilfoid: Poor WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) will now be defending his WBO title in front of his opponent Billy Joe Saunders’ fans on October 10th in Manchester, UK instead of on September 19th in Thomond Park in Limerick, Ireland. Lee, 31, came down with a virus. That’s what’s being said. Dan Rafael of ESPN had a different take on why the Lee-Saunders fight is being moved to October 10th.
“The word is the real reason Lee-Saunders was ppd is because they were selling no tickets in Limerick. #boxing,” Rafael said on his Twitter.
Saunders: I’ll Smash Lee Up
By Adam Beechers: Fresh from his 4th round TKO win on Friday night, WBO #1 fighter Billy Joe Saunders 22(12)-0 has stepped up the war of words ahead of his World title fight in September. Saunders, 25, is set to take on Andy Lee 34(24)-2 for the Irishman’s WBO World middleweight title. Saunders who beat France’s Yoann Bloyer was in a bullish mood as he looked to try and rattle his future opponent.
“Andy Lee is a good fighter but I’m going over there to smash him up and take his World title,” Saunders said to BoxNation. “If he said he’s going to knock me out in five rounds he’s talking crap and I can guarantee one thing a good smart boxer will always beat a brawler. I think Andy has got it in his mind too much about having that big punch but he won’t be getting lucky and landing it on me. Andy is a good fighter and a good champion who has done it the hard way and I have a lot of respect for him but believe me I am going to beat him.”
Saunders not interested in Golovkin bout
By Scott Gilfoid: If #1 WBO Billy Joe Saunders (21-0, 11 KOs) defeats WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) in their fight on September 19th, there’s a good chance that we won’t be seeing the 25-year-old Saunders facing WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in a unification fight.
Saunders says he flat out isn’t interested in facing the hard hitting Golokvin. However, Saunders says he’d take the fight with him if he were offered a ton of money, but apart from that, he wouldn’t be all that interested in facing the Kazakhstan star. This is unfortunate for Golovkin and for the fans because if Saunders beats Lee, which is a possibility, it probably means no unification fight.
Showdown at Thomond Park: Andy Lee vs. Billy Joe Saunders
By Daniel Reed: I’ve never had a fighter that I’ve rated higher. To be good is one thing but to be great takes a great passion for what you do and Andy loves to fight. He is the complete package – good looking, intelligent, explosive power, physically structured to be a great fighter.”
Back when he was first coming up as a prospect, Emanuel Steward would rave and brag about Lee’s potential and talent. Coming from a man deservedly held in such high esteem as Steward, these words meant everything to Lee.
Billy Joe Saunders in stay busy fight on July 11th
By Scott Gilfoid #1 WBO middleweight contender Billy Joe Saunders (21-0, 11 KOs) will be getting in a stay busy fight on July 11th against an opponent still to be determined at the Velodrome, in Manchester, UK. The idea is to get the 25-year-old Saunders some work in to get him ready for his September 19th title shot against WBO World middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) at Thomond Park Stadium, Limerick, Ireland.
Saunders hasn’t fought since last November when he defeated Chris Eubank Jr. by a 12 round split decision at the ExCel Arena in London, UK. In looking at how badly Saunders gassed out in the 2nd half of that fight, I think it would have been a good idea to keep Saunders in training camp up until now because he really looked terrible with the way that he fell apart over the last six rounds of the fight.