Andy Lee will face Billy Joe Saunders or Chris Eubank Jnr if he beats Matt Korobov
Middleweight fighting for vacant WBO title in December
Wednesday 5 November 2014 16:53, UK
Andy Lee will fight for the world title next month - and if he wins, will have to defend it against Chris Eubank Jnr or Billy Joe Saunders.
The Irish middleweight will take on Matt Korobov (24-0 KO14) for the vacant WBO belt in Las Vegas on December 13th.
There's a stipulation that if I win that, then my first defence will be the winner of Saunders-Eubank Jnr. But that doesn't really bother me. My focus is on Korobov
The title was vacated by Peter Quillin and thanks to his trainer and manager Adam Booth, Lee – who was ranked fourth by the governing body - now gets the chance to beat domestic rival Martin Murray to winning a world title.
"Quillin vacated, then it was Saunders in line but Billy Joe Saunders had signed for Eubank Jnr, so I got the opportunity," he told the Toe 2 Toe podcast.
"There's a stipulation that if I win that, then my first defence will be the winner of Saunders-Eubank Jnr.
"But that doesn't really bother me. My focus is on Korobov."
Beyond
Lee revealed that he would prefer to fight Korobov in Dublin and he and Booth came close to securing it, but admits Vegas "is not a bad second choice".
With Murray taking on Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo - where Lee and Booth are training until the start of December - in February, the Irishman could well beat the St Helens fighter to the world title.
But first Lee (33-2 KO 23) knows he will need be at his best to become a world champion.
"He was a great amateur - possibly the best amateur in the world from 2005 to 2007," he said about Korobov.
"He didn't medal in the Olympics and turned pro after that and if I am honest, he hasn't lived up to expectations.
"At times he has, but he hasn't been as good as people thought he'd be. That said, I know this going to be a tough, tough test so I am not looking beyond December 13th."
But who does Lee think he will have to face if he wins the WBO belt, Eubank Jnr or Saunders? And how good is Koborov? Find out by downloading the Toe 2 Toe podcast on Wednesday afternoon.
