Andy Lee confident he’ll beat Julio Chavez Jr.

Andy ‘Irish’ Lee (28-1, 20KO’s) is a fighter on a mission as he prepares to challenge unbeaten middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (45-0-1, 31 KO’s) for his WBC championship green belt on June 16 at the outdoor Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas. The tall 6’2 Kronk fighter has just completed a 10 week training camp in preparation for his world title bout and is looking in great condition and extremely sharp in sparring. Lee has been trading punches at the Detroit Kronk Gym with aggressive sparring partners such as Mike Jimenez, Adonis Stevenson, Edwin Rodriguez, Don George and Brian Vera.

Lee presently ranked WBO #1, WBA #2 and WBC #3 is in the best shape of his life and is in a positive and confident mood with only two things on his mind going into this fight; winning and winning impressively. He believes he has the boxing skills and power to beat Chavez Jr. and is very focused on the job he has to do.

Lee’s legendary manager and trainer, Emanuel Steward, commented, “Preparations for the fight could not have been any better; Andy is a very disciplined and determined fighter and he is physically and mentally prepared for the biggest fight of his career to date.

“We have prepared for every possible scenario in the fight against a young, strong and resolute undefeated champion. However Chavez Jr. has never fought a fighter like Andy Lee and the champion is going to realize that on fight night.

“Atthe age of 28, Andy is in the prime of his life. He is a big middleweight, a southpaw, has vast experience, as an amateur and professional, can box on the outside and fight at close quarters and has the power to take a fighter out with either hand.

“Andy’s time has arrived, he has trained his entire life for this moment and he is now ready to become the new WBC middleweight champion. Andy is a fighter on a mission and with the frame of mind he has had in the gym during camp I believe he can knock Chavez Jr. out.”

Assistant Kronk coaches Javan “Sugar” Hill and Roger Lee have been supporting Emanuel Steward prepare Lee for the fight and there is a great team spirit and camaraderie in the camp.

The Irishman realizes he will be fighting Chavez Jr. in front of a strong Mexican partisan crowd in El Paso, estimated to be over 40,000, next door to Mexico. But he also realizes that there will only be two fighters in the ring and when Lee unleashes one of his strong, devastating right hooks or straight left power shots, the whole of Mexico will not be able to help the champion.

Team Lee believes Chavez Jr. has all the stress and pressure of the world on his shoulders coming into the fight. In recent fights, the champion has struggled to make weight and in this fight he has to step up in class to box a strong rangy southpaw for the first time. Furthermore, Lee is taller than Chavez Jr. and the champion will not be able to utilize his height and weight advantages that he used in title defenses with fighters like Rubio and Manfredo Jr.

Lee is no stranger to fighting away from home with only seven of his 29 fights taking place in Ireland. He has established himself as an Irish Kronk fighter in America from his pro debut at the Joe Louis Arena, Detroit on March 10, 2006.

Lee is a fighter that came to the United States with a strong amateur pedigree, becoming a 2004 Athens Olympian and 2002 World Junior Silver Medalist. He travelled the world as an amateur to compete in numerous multi-nation tournaments and championships.
The Irishman has learned his trade from mentor Emanuel Steward at the world renowned Detroit Kronk Gym and at the training camps of world champions such as Wladimir Klitschko, Miguel Cotto and Jermain Taylor. He has fought in major events on HBO Boxing, headlined his own shows in Ireland and in the United States.

The last six years have been a valuable education that has molded Andy Lee as a fighter and added many strings to his bow. With 29 fights under his belt and ranked in the top three of the four main sanctioning bodies, the Irishman has never been more ready to challenge for a world title.

A relaxed and confident Lee speaking after a tough training session commented, “I relish this opportunity to fight for and win the WBC middleweight title; I have never been more ready to win the title. I am totally focused on the fight and I’m ready to care of business come fight night.

“I am not going to El Paso to make up the numbers on the card; believe me this is the pinnacle of a lifetime’s work and the opportunity is not going to pass me by. I’m going to win the title.

“Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been a proud champion and has kept himself busy in the last 12 months since winning the title, but I will be too strong and have too much ring craft for him. I will be the fighter who will leaving town as the new champion, this is my date with destiny.”

the chances of chavez jr. receiving a promoters decision if he decisevely loses is very slim after the wake of pac/bradley.

if you thought lee was a live dog before he is even better now.

it wouldnt suprise me at all if chavez intentionally misses weight(castillo-corrales 2/ anthony "rumble" johnson)to come in with an unfair advantage.

chavez weighs-in at 160. he is a middleweight. until he is caught using drugs then he is presumed clean. if he has the god-given abllty to cut from 185 to 160, more power to him.

i believe for this fight that he is not going to tax his body with the cut to give himself more of an advantage. 

im thinking 164-166.

fair enough.

but the guy standing opposite him saturday night is not prime b-hop or even a william joppy for that matter. hes a guy that has a good left hook to the body, great heart but easy to hit with limited power thats been feasting and making his name against a plethora of 5'10" guys. and now hes going against a solid 6'2" lefty that throws a nice counter right cross in addition to a straight left and left to the body. a lefty with a great camp whos entire boxing career in on the line here. and you can guarantee manny is going to try and take away that chavez hook with a lee counter right.

if chavez is only capable of throwing 560 punches like he did in the rubio fight(lee averaged 680 against mcewan) and takes five or six solid lefts in the first two frames this fight is even money at best.

and chavez backers cant be too happy with the fact that last year he went tooth-and-nail with zbik who was just dominated and stopped by sturm in a one-sided affair.

theres absolutely no way i would be laying -300 with chavez saturday night even if he weighs in at 164.

mccewan is a gbp and freddie roach-trained prospect and was undefeated a the time of the fight with lee. manny was not in lees corner of said fight.

imo, chavez jr bettors anticipating three bad decisions in texas in a row(kirkland/molina,campillo/cloud) coupled with the recent paq/bradley decision is slim and unwise.

this opinion coming from pretty much the only guy here on the boxing covers forum that posted that the judging for the paq/bradley fight was in all likelihood not going to be biased toward manny pacqiaou and that bradely was going to receive a fair shake.

although im a huge proponent of backing the house fighter and have stated such here on the boxing foum on numerous occasions, you would have to be somewhat ignorant to believe that if lee convincingly beats chavez that bob arum's julio is going to receive a promoters decision one week after arguably one of worst decisions ever in the history of boxing. 

its futile and irrelevant if paq/bradley is the worst decision, second worst, third worst, etc.

the premise of my post is that anticipating a promoters decision in the chavez jr/lee fight after the bradley/paq debacle isprobably something one must not factor in their decision. im assuming youve read my post history and know that i put a value on a hometown decision more than most would.

for one to cap this fight the same as before zbik was kod by sturm and the paq/bradley travesty(andre ward is now publically telling his buddy bradley to give back the belt) is something that makes little sense.

i paid -400 for jr. one year ago when he fought against zbik, a 5'10" feather-fisted, first-time fighting in the US hand-picked underdog and he was arguably winning the fight going into the 10th round.

and now lee, a 6'2" lefty with ko power in both hands, fighting for his career and probable citizenzship with one of the best manager/trainers in the businessat his disposal is now only 40 cents cheaper at -360?

i have a lot better things to do with my money than pay -360 for julio cesaer chavez jr.

First things first hello boys. I rarely ever come on here anymore but was looking into this fight and had some input I suppose of my own.

I too do not see Lee getting any help on the scorecards and believe he'll have to borderline DOMINATE beyond belief or as I'm going to bet KO Chavez Jr.

Now onto Chavez Jr it seems that the most likely manner in which he can win is by Decision so I'm going to be taking Fight to go to decision @ -110 (don't have Chavez Jr by decision otherwise I would take it).

Also I was wondering what all of your thoughts were on the Chambers/Ad fight? Thanks