Boxing News round-upFormer Olympic middleweight Andy Lee confirmed yesterday he would be represented by Brian Peters Promotions for the rest of his career. Peters had to fend off offers from Setanta Sports and renowned American promoter Bob Arum to secure a deal that includes RTÉ televising his fights in Ireland.
The undefeated (12 wins, nine by knockout) 23-year-old Limerick southpaw has based himself at Detroit's Kronk Gym since turning professional 18 months ago under the tutelage of Lennox Lewis's former trainer Emanuel Stewart.
Lee made his professional debut in Ireland at the Point Depot last August, easily stopping last-minute replacement Ciarán Healy, on the undercard of Bernard Dunne's ill-fated first-round knockout to Spaniard Kiko Martinez. It now appears that Lee, along with Derry middleweight John Duddy, will fill the void left by Dunne relinquishing his super-bantamweight European title.
Lee fights Brad Austin on November 15th in Plymouth, Michigan, before returning to Dublin's National Stadium to meet an as-yet-unknown opponent on December 15th. This will be followed by "three or four fights" in different venues around the country throughout 2008. He is also pencilled in for a March fight stateside.
"I wouldn't come here unless Brian promised to get me big fights too," said Lee at a press conference in Trinity College. "I'm not just here to earn a living, I want big nights and to fight big names. By this time next year I hope to be 18-0 and have fought a few world-class boxers."
Considering both Duddy and Lee are in the Peters stable, it is unlikely they will come into direct contact unless one of them becomes world champion.
Lee's first Irish headliner ensures three consecutive televised weekends of boxing in Ireland next month. Setanta Sports will show Martinez making his first defence of the European crown against 37-year-old Wayne McCullough at the Kings Hall, Belfast, on December 1st. McCullough has not fought for over two years and the 1992 Olympic silver medallist has lost three of his last four bouts.
The following Saturday RTÉ will televise Duddy's (22-0, 17 by knockout) Kings Hall debut, after two fights in Dublin and 20 in the US, against veteran Englishman Howard Eastman. On the same night (December 8th) Ricky Hatton takes challenges Floyd Mayweather jr for the world welterweight title in Las Vegas.
The vast majority of the Irish boxing team, barring light flyweight Paddy Barnes who has now qualified for Beijing 2008, will have to rely on two final Olympic qualifying tournaments for European boxers early next year after failing to qualify from the World Championships in Chicago this week.
Llight heavyweight Ken Egan ( Neilstown) bowed out following a 17-9 reversal to Croatian Marijo Sivolija in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The two final Olympic qualifiers will be held in Italy (Pascara) and Greece (Athens) in February and April next year on dates yet to be confirmed.
