Andy Lee Plots His Return
By: Sean Crose
Andy Lee, who was last seen losing his portion of the middleweight title last year, is now apparently rested and eager to return to the ring. This, friends, is good news. Why? Well, for starters, Lee is a good fighter. Sure he’s lost a few times (he’s 34-3-1), but he’s looked quite effective on more than one occasion – and against talented opposition, no less. Just ask Matt Korobov and Peter Quillin. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Lee can knock down a wall with his right hook. Yes, it’s a shot that can deliver, and that means Lee will always be an interesting fighter to watch.
There’s something else worth liking about Lee, however, and that’s the fact that he probably means it when he claims willingness face Gennady Golovkin once he shakes off the rust. To be sure, the man gives no indication that he’ll price himself out, or argue that things need to marinate, or hide behind a managerial entity that can protect him. Lee’s record shows that he’s willing to challenge himself, win, lose or draw. Therefore, no matter what else happens, one might actually be able to believe there’s a top middleweight out there ready to challenge GGG now that Lee’s returning to the ring.
To be sure, Lee could give quite a few fighters out there some real trouble. He lost a close one to Billy Joe Saunders. Who’s to say Lee wouldn’t win a rematch – if Saunders would actually have one? Also, who’s to say Lee wouldn’t give Daniel Jacobs a run? Or Canelo Alvarez, for that matter? Indeed, Lee might well be able to beat each of those men. Could he beat GGG himself? One never knows, though it’s hard to imagine Golovkin falling to the Irishman – though there’s always that right hook to keep in mind.
As it stands, Lee claims to be back in the gym. He reportedly wants a quality opponent for his first fight back, then wants to shoot for the upper echelon of the middleweight division. Needless to say, it will be good to have the man back. He may not be an all time great middleweight, but he’s a pretty damn good one and he’s proven to be willing to – wait for it – take risks. Lee also comes across as a pretty nice guy, which is a good thing to see in boxing, where personalities can sometimes be as nasty as knockout blows.