Middleweights Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders are set to headline a domestic clash in Limerick, Ireland on September 19th.
Saunders was originally picked to dance with Lee last September, but had to wait a little longer as Lee went after then-WBO champ Matt Korobov. Many analysts thought this an unwise move for Lee, but he proved his doubters wrong by scoring a dramatic 6th round stoppage of Korobov.
Championship belt in tow, Lee then squared off against Peter Quillin in a heavy-handed chess match in April. The high-concentration bout, which featured multiple knockdowns, ended in a Draw.
Meanwhile, Saunders finally closed the mouth of countryman rival Chris Eubank Jr by scoring a Split Decision in November 2014.
Lee (34-2-1, 24 KO) expressed respect for his scheduled foe in a recent interview:
“I’m fighting one of the best middleweights in the world,” Lee told RingTV. “Saunders is the British, Commonwealth and European champion. He’s undefeated; he’s waited his time and he will come in with a spirited challenge but I’ve got to hold on to my belt.”
Saunders (21-0, 11 KO) also acknowledged the mountains Lee has climbed during his career, and said the task will ask much of them both.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Andy and he’s a great champion,” said Saunders. “You’ve got two proud men representing their countries and the fans are going to win on the night. I guarantee that Andy and I are going to leave nothing out and put it all in the ring.”
How do you see Lee vs Saunders going down? Will Saunder’s savvy and ring generalship be enough to get the job done? Or will Lee’s raw power and ability to pull off unforeseeable knockouts be too much of a factor?
The BoxingBase.com writing staff provide worldwide boxing news, coverage and analysis – they can be contacted via email and social media.
