Andy Lee to support Macklin before trying to beat him
JUNE 17 Jonny Stapleton
Andy Lee will to travel to Germany next Saturday night to support Matthew Macklin’s world title bid, but admits he will try to free the Birmingham born Irish man of the WBA middleweight belt if he does beat Felix Sturm.
Events over the past week suggest the Limerick southpaw will get the two fights he has craved for the last number of years.
The Emanuel Steward trained fighter is on the verge of Brian Vera redemption and a world title clash.
Lee’s big time American Promoter Lou DiBella revealed he is ‘very close’ to finalising a deal that see’s the Kronk fighter rematch with the only man to beat him live HBO in a co-feature with Darren Barker and Sergio Martinez’s WBC world middleweight title fight on October 1.
And Macklin this week revealed if both fighters come through unscathed from their next bouts he would love nothing more than to defend a newly acquired WBA title against his fellow Irish middleweight.
“As we speak the Vera fights not confirmed but Lou is working on it and is confident it can be made. Hopefully in the next week or two it’ll be set. This is the fight I’ve been waiting for, it’ll be televised here on HBO and hopefully in Ireland so everyone will get to see me avenge my only loss,” Lee told Mirror Sport.
Lee jets into Austria this week to help Wladimir Klitschko prepare for his world title fight with David Haye before going to Germany to see if Macklin can register victory and make Lee’s passage to his own world title that bit easier.
“I will be close by in Austria so I’ll try and be there supporting him on Saturday. It’ll be a tough fight but if he can pull it off it’ll be great for him and for Irish boxing. And it would set up a great fight between the two of us. I’ll be routing for Matthew all the way because I would like to win and because I would like to fight him”
Meanwhile heavyweight boxing legend Evander Holyfield has dismissed rumours he is set to fight Martin Rogan in Belfast this Autumn.
The Iron Man had been linked with the five time champion of the world with a date said to be booked in the Odyssey Arena for September.
However speaking to Mirror Sport Holyfield said he has no Rogan plans,
“The rumours are not true. I have no plans to fight Martin Rogan. I will fight Francois Both in South Africa on October 8.”
