Q&A: Andy Lee

By Mike Bernier

Irish world-rated middleweight contender Andy Lee (27-1, 19 KOs) returns on DiBella Entertainment’s St. Patrick’s Day card (March 17th) that will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Lee’s opponent has yet to be named. Headlining the show will be middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) defending his crown against top-rated Irish middleweight contender, Matthew “Mack The Knife” Macklin (28-3, 19 KOs). Lee, who has won twelve straight, avenged his only loss against Brian Vera in his last fight. He is rated WBO #1, WBA #3 and WBC #6, and hopes to face the winner of Martinez-Macklin.

How difficult or easy was your decision to migrate from your residence in Ireland to Detroit to train with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward?

“The Irish Amateur Boxing Association offered me a good package to train amateur for four years. There were a lot of incentives like sponsorships, education, and funding. On the other hand I had Emanuel Steward; obviously a legend in boxing and a chance to go to the Kronk Gym. I took my chances and went to the Kronk and I haven’t looked back since. It was a tough decision at the time, but when I look back on it now it was the best decision I ever made.”

Where do you think your boxing career would be at this point if you would have remained in the Ireland?

“I don’t even think I’d be fighting. I probably would have stayed amateur. I probably would have gone to the Olympics and think I would have been good enough to win an Olympic medal at least, if not win the gold. Who knows what I’d be doing after that. I turned pro and I haven’t looked back since.”

You fought here twice at Madison Square Garden. Once in 2006 on the Wladimir Klitschko vs. Calvin Brock undercard and again in 2007 on a John Duddy undercard. Will this upcoming fight on March 17th be used as a platform for you to gain a bigger following with the local Irish community?

“I’m Irish and there is a big Irish community here in New York and they’re all going to be at the fight. I’ve fought here before and I’ve fought in Atlantic City and in Connecticut a couple times. They follow me now and they continue to follow me. As far as I hear all the Irish lads and queens will be coming down from the Bronx, Katonah Ave. It’s going to be a good night; it’s going to be a good atmosphere, plenty of drinking going on.”

Did you watch the Felix Sturm vs. Matthew Macklin fight?

“I watched the fight live in Germany. I though Macklin did enough maybe by one or two rounds to win the fight. In anyone’s hometown as we saw with Khan vs. Peterson and many others throughout history, if you’re fighting in the guy’s hometown you’re already starting two or three points behind so you really have to go that extra bit. He was unlucky that night, if it was in a neutral territory he would have won but he didn’t and now he gets to fight Sergio. Hopefully he’ll get a fair shake here in New York.”

Who is on your radar in the middleweight division?

“There are a lot of good fighters in the middleweight division. Dmitry Pirog, Peter Quillin, Matthew Macklin, Sergio Martinez, Chavez Jr is improving all the time. The division is heating up. We just need to get the fights between each other. I had a chance to fight Chavez Jr and he turned it down. To me Martinez is the best in the division and that’s the guy I want to fight. You can beat the other guys and still have to fight Martinez to be called the best so why beat around the bush? Why not just go for the best guys. Let’s see what happens. If I look good on March 17th then I’ll be asking Lou [DiBella] and asking HBO to give me a fight with Martinez.”

You’re a professional boxer and don’t have an alias. Why not?

“Nothing ever stuck; my name is Andy Lee. It’s good enough short and sweet.”

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January 19th, 2012

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