Lee has plan to beat Martinez but will have to wait to implement it
By Jonny Stapleton
ANDY Lee has already devised a game plan he believes would help him dethrone WBC Diamond Champion Sergio Martinez.
However, the Limerick native feels he may have to wait before he gets the chance to implement it.
The Irish middleweight confirmed his contender status in style over the weekend when he secured Brian Vera redemption with a one sided points win in Atlantic City.
Prior to that revenge fight the 2004 Olympian was adamant that once he rectified the sole blemish on his career he would seek out a world title shot.
Indeed Lee’s promoter Lou DiBella said he was considering Lee/ Martinez for March 17, but it seems the man deemed the best fighter in the division has pound for pound aspirations and has since been linked with Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao and even Floyd Mayweather.
“I don’t know if the Martinez fight will come immediately I will have to wait and see. I will have to sit down with Lou DiBella and Emanuel Steward. I would like to fight Martinez, I am ready,” Lee said.
“I would rise to the challenge. I would have to box better than I have ever boxed in a pro ring. I have to translate my gym work into fights. If I can bring my gym performances to the ring I don’t think anyone would beat me.”
“Basic boxing will cause Martinez problems. There is a lot of illusion to what he does. He shakes and faints. If you are not lulled into him you can keep him off balance. I know how I would fight him if I got that chance, but I don’t want to give too much away.”
Despite admitting Martinez may be off the short term radar and claiming most middleweight are avoiding him Lee is can see big bouts on the horizon.
The Kronx fighter has been linked with an all Irish clash with fellow DiBella Entertainment fighter Matthew Macklin- rumours are rife of a March 17 meeting- and WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez jr..
“I have no fear of any middleweight. Right now the middleweight division is heating up again. Martinez is impressing, Macklin came over to America to fight, I am in the mix, there is Chavez Junior, but he won’t fight anyone they are going to protect him. There is a lot of fights out there now.”
Most pundits have heralded the Limerick southpaw’s most recent victory the best of his career, but the Detroit based middleweight claims he can do better.
Lee still see’s room for improvements and points to maturity as the main revenge tool.
“I am happy with the win. The performance was good at times and it was sweet to the get victory. I would give myself a 7.5 out of ten against Vera. There are a few things I have to work on. The difference between this fight and the last is I am mature now. I am a seasoned fighter. Last time I was all guns blazing and I wasn’t prepared physically. There was a focus and determination ahead of this fight and thank god I got the win.”
