26.03.08 – by James Slater: The first fight between hot prospect Andy Lee and Contender T.V star Brian Vera was not only a huge upset, it was also a great fight – possibly even a candidate for 2008’s best fight of the year. So a return fight between the two men makes perfect sense. The good news is this looks like happening as soon as July this year..
According to Pugnacious Promotion’s Lisa Elovich, who promoted Lee-Vera I, the rematch could possibly happen on July 25th, and be televised on ESPN2. Lee will certainly want the chance at getting revenge over Vera, the only man to ever beat him. And surely the man who scored the huge upset on March 21st will be confident he could repeat the result a second time around. The big winners will be the fans, however. If the action is as good as it was in the 7th round TKO victory scored by Vera, anyway.
Lee’s trainer, the legendary Emanuel Steward, has stated how the fight was so good a return simply has to happen. Although Steward added that the stoppage his fighter suffered in round number seven was premature – especially as it was Lee who actually threw the final punch of the fight – he had no problem congratulating Vera on a great fight.
“Brian was able to work on the inside better than Andy,” Steward remarked. “This [ a rematch between the two fighters] could be the beginning of a great series,” the Hall of Fame trainer also said – perhaps suggesting that should Lee gain revenge in a second fight there would then be a rubber match.
The second fight is by far a done job yet, but it seems a natural just waiting to happen. The first bout featured plenty of good action, had switching momentums throughout, and also produced a stunning upset. What’s not to like about a rematch? Vera, 16-1(10) well and truly arrived on the big stage with his unlikely win, while the 15-1(12) Lee will still want to go on to achieve all the things many people predicted he would in boxing.
A return match between the two men would likely attract a whole lot more interest than their first meeting, looked upon as it was as nothing more than another step towards greatness for the Irish prospect. That attitude is certainly not one the fans will be adopting in the moments before the two middleweights climb through the ropes for a second fight.