Lee: Time is running out on my career, so I’ll give it all I’ve got
HIS sport may be riddled with hyperbole, but Andy Lee has no time for trash talk.
In fact, time is a precious commodity for the 32-year-old former WBO world champion, who is preparing to enter the ring for the first time since December 2015 tonight in New York.
“At 32 now, I know I’m not going to have too many more fights,” says the father-to-be. “I know in terms of boxing I’ve had more yesterdays than I’ve had tomorrows.
“I’m only going to be doing this maybe one or two more times after this, so I’m going to enjoy every single day and that’s the way I’ve been approaching it – just going in the gym, enjoying it.”
The Limerick native has diligently prepared for his eight-round bout tonight against Alabama middleweight KeAndrae Leatherwood at Madison Square Garden.
A little under 24 hours after Michael Conlan’s professional debut at the same venue’s Theater arena – a bout that took place in this morning’s wee hours on an Irish clock – Lee will lace up his gloves for his first competitive contest since a December 2015 loss to England’s Billy Joe Saunders.
That Manchester defeat also marked the loss of the Castleconnell man’s WBO world title, and ghosts are still lingering in his mind after a fight that was plagued by cancellations, postponements and a poor performance.
“It was a fight I was hugely motivated for as a challenge but by the time I got to the end of the three training camps because of the three reschedules, I was burnt out,” recalls Lee (pictured). “I had over-trained and I had peaked a few weeks before it. “Looking back in hindsight, I can see that. You never admit to yourself when you’re training but in hindsight I can see I did too much and peaked too soon and I was burnt out. And once you go past that there’s no coming back.
“Being in a boxing ring and a gym was the last place I wanted to be. . . It just never clicked for me until I got knocked down and after that it was weird.
“It was just a poor performance and I just felt f lat.”
The comeback starts tonight. Leatherwood should be a stepping-stone fight in terms of Lee’s world title ambitions, although the 28-yearold Alabama native carries a decent 19-3-1 record.
“He’s going to raise his game because this will be his biggest fight,” says Lee on his opponent.
“This will be his biggest fight and biggest scalp and biggest opponent so he’ll be bringing his best, and probably better than he’s ever fought before.
“People probably look at this on paper and say that’s an easy win, but they’re never easy wins.
“He’s got a 19-3 record, you don’t go into a ring and win 19 fights without having some ability so I have to be really careful and not be too eager to impress and force things, just box and use my experience and hopefully the opening will come,” added the former WBO champion ahead of a bout that will be screened live tonight on eir Sport’s BoxNation.
An opening for an eyecatching knockout is clearly what Lee is hoping for. The Limerick manwas originally installed on tonight’s fight bill as a potential back-up opponent for Gennady Golovkin ahead of the world middleweight champion’s headline title defence against Danny Jacobs.
Victory tonight is essential should if Lee is to have any chance of maintaining his ambitions of booking a fight against the winner of that bill-topper.