Andy Lee listed in ESPN’s ‘Top 10 most explosive punchers’
Limerick’s Andy Lee has been given high praise by arguably the World’s #1 boxing writer. Dan Rafael of ESPN, and familiar to Irish fans from his regular appearances on Newstalk’s Off The Ball show, has placed the WBO middleweight champion in his ‘Top 10 most explosive punchers’ list.
Rafael placed the 32 year old at number ten, with Kazakh middleweight king, and potential future opponent, Gennady Golovkin claiming top spot.
Rafael, however, perhaps sold the Irishman, an acclaimed amateur and 2004 Olympian, a little short in his description where he argued “middleweight titleholder Lee has fashioned his career off one money punch, a powerful right hook that has saved the day for him more than once.”
“He was trailing John Jackson on all three scorecards in June 2014 and looking bad when he scored a one-punch knockout in the fifth round, courtesy of the right hook, that may have saved his career.”
“History repeated itself in his next fight in December. He was down on all three scorecards and looking terrible against Matt Korobov when he landed the right hook again for the knockout victory that gave him a vacant middleweight world title.”
“Memo to all opponents: Beware of Lee’s right hook.”
Regardless of whether one agrees with Rafael’s appraisal of Lee, the recognition of the Castleconnell man’s power is certainly warranted and a nice accolade.
The top ten in full is:
10. Andy Lee [34(24)-2(2)-1] Middleweight, Ireland
9. David Lemieux [34(32)-2(1)] Middleweight, Canada
8. Keith Thurman [25(22)-0] Welterweight, USA
7. Lucas Matthysse [37(34)-4(1)-0-1] Welterweight, Argentina
6. Miguel Cotto [40(34)-4(2)] Middleweight, Puerto Rico
5. Deontay Wilder [35(34)-0] Heavyweight, USA
4. Roman Gonzales [43(37)-0] Flyweight, Nicaragua
3. Wladimir Klitschko [64(54)-3(3)] Heavyweight, Ukraine
2. Sergey Kovalev [23(23)-0-1] Light heavyweight, Russia
1. Gennady Golovkin [33(30)-0] Middleweight, Kazakhstan
Relive some of Lee’s biggest KO’s below:
And an overhand left to show that it’s not just his right hook you should look out for
