05.09.07 – By Dan Fitz-Simons: There is talk that precocious middleweight sensation, Andy Lee might challenge Jason McKay for the Irish super-middleweight title. The 29-year old McKay is 6’1” and has a record of 19-1 (5KOs). McKay is from Belfast, but the bout would be held in Andy’s home town of Limerick, probably on November 17th. Irish promoter Brian Peters is willing to support the event, and Andy is reportedly licking his chops over a 12-round battle that could give him the chance to pit his skills against a legitimate opponent.
Andy’s previous 4-to-8 round bouts never gave him an opportunity to test his stamina. A fight in Limerick would also allow him to show his local fan-base how he has developed since coming to America and fighting under the expert guidance of Emanuel Stewart. Up to now, Manny Stewart has been satisfied to bring Andy along slowly, while gradually developing his ring technique and boxing skills. But an encounter with McKay would represent a step up in class, indicating team Lee is now ready to test darker waters.
Andy knows McKay would be a different class of opponent but welcomes the opportunity to take on the experienced Irish middleweight. Lee believes that he needs to go the distance with a tougher opponent like McKay, because it’s the only way he can improve while learning his own strengths and weaknesses. Andy was previously scheduled for two fights in October in Chicago and Detroit. One of these warm-up matches could be against veteran journeyman, Chris Henry from the Bahamas.
Although the 34-year old Henry does not present the same challenge as McKay, he has fought experienced opponents. At 6’1” Chris Henry has a 41-18 (17 KOs) record. But more importantly, he has squared off against a list of well known middleweights including: Sebastian Demers from Canada; Giovanni Lorenzo from the Dominican Republic; Joshua Clottey from Ghana; Thomas Damgaard from Denmark; and Joachim Alcine from Haiti. Hopefully, some of Henry’s ring savvy will rub off on Andy.
When Lee first stepped into the ring in Ireland, boxing analysts predicted his stand-up style would never make it in the professionals. Yet Andy argues that his traditional style, when implemented properly, suits him well. His awkward stance hasn’t seemed to bother Manny Stewart either. Stewart first spotted Andy in 2002, while coaching the U.S. boxing team at the World Junior Championships in Cuba. Lee had fought as an amateur on the St. Francis boxing team in Limerick, and represented Ireland in the Olympics.
When word reached Stewart that one of his fighters had been beaten “by some Irish kid,” he began spotting Lee. What Manny probably saw at that early stage was that Andy, in spite of his thin arms and gangly appearance, could bang. No one can now argue that Andy Lee lacks power. At 6’2,” the 23-year old southpaw with an 11-0 (8KOs) record has a promising career. To older fans, Lee’s deceptive appearance is reminiscent of another heavy hitter, former Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster.
As a rule, Andy doesn’t come out swinging in the first round. He prefers to size up his opponent and gradually wear him down. A crafty fighter, he maintains a calm composure, probing for weaknesses that will enable him to land his bombs. He threw a perfect right hook at former WBA middleweight champion Carl Daniels, which could be knockout of the year. But Lee can also bang to the body. In his last fight, he pounded Ciaran Healy’s ribs with left hooks until Healy couldn’t answer the bell for round five.
Andy has taken some lumps and bruises, including a cut on the right eyelid and 6 stitches from an accidental head butt. However, he appears to have an effective defense and is able to gracefully move out of danger. In the process, he fires off counter-jabs at opponents “on the way out,” making them pay for getting too close. As a member of the Kronk Gym in Detroit, Andy trains with world champions, Jermain Taylor and Vladimir Klitchko, and word has it that he handles himself very well while sparring with Taylor.
Nevertheless, boxing aficionados insist that Andy’s chin and stamina have yet to be tested; if Andy faces an opponent at his own level who can hit like he can, he’ll be in trouble. These questions will be answered over the next year, as Stewart steps up the pace of Andy’s schedule and the level of competition. Last week, Stewart let slip that Lee may be fighting on the under card of the September 29 Taylor-Pavlik championship fight. Someday soon, Andy Lee might be on the main card of his own world title bout.