Andy Lee

Andy Lee

Before then, the southpaw enjoyed a successful amateur career and at 17 fought for the Irish senior middleweight title, where he lost in the final to Eamonn O'Kane. Lee went one better 12 months later, and then avenged that defeat to O'Kane in the final the following year. Prior to that he represented Ireland at the Athens Olympics in 2004, beating Alfredo Angulo of Mexico in the first round. However, he then lost to Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam of Cameroon on countback and after beating O'Kane the following year decided the time was right to turn pro, rather than build towards Olympic glory in Beijing. Lee headed straight to Emanuel Steward's Kronk Gym, the home of countless world champions and made famous by the success of Tommy Hearns in the 1980s. Steward took the Irishman under his wing, building an impressive 15-0 record in their first two years together. The youngster came unstuck against Brian Vera, however, stopped in the seventh round despite fighting back off the ropes. The re-build was a success though, a clash with Scottish exile and fellow prospect Craig McEwan seeing Lee eventually master his opponent by the 10th round. By now Lee was closing in on a title shot, avenging that painful defeat to Vera with a virtual shutout points win that advertised his improvement, while Vera had lost his next three bouts to unbeaten prospects after beating Lee three years previously. He went up against WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in 2012, but was cut down in seven competitive rounds. The death of friend and mentor Steward not long after was another hammer blow to his career. But the 29-year-old is back on the winning trail and after joining trainer Adam Booth is once again looking to get back into the title mix.