Sturm: I am ready to make a fight with Andy Lee
by Jonny Stapleton
Felix Sturm is ready to make a fight with Andy Lee by the end of the week.
However, the WBA middleweight world champion stressed Lee is doing battle with an unnamed middleweight for the chance to be the long reigning champion’s April 13 opponent.
Sturm revealed he would like to fight another Irish contender having already beaten Matthew Macklin albeit in controversial circumstances, but stressed he is weighing up a last minute second option before making a final decision over the next two days.
The long reigning champion promotes himself and admitted he is in advanced talks with the Limerick star’s promoter, Lou DiBella, but stressed he has to decide between Lee and another option this week.
The German will obviously take the best financial package available and did claim if the Emanuel Steward trained Irish fighter misses out this time round he would still like to fight him before the year is out.
“Andy Lee and myself would be a great fight. We have talked to Lou DiBella and we are ready to make that fight. I would love to fight Andy. It would be great for the Irish fans and fight that would be great for world boxing,” Sturm contacted Mirror Sport to say yesterday.
“We are close to a deal. I promote myself and I am easy to make a fight with. I do have another option and I will make a final decision by the end of the week. I fight on April 13 so a decision has to be made soon. I can make the title fight with Lee, who I think is one of the best middleweights in the world, but if it doesn’t happen this time round I am sure we can make the fight later this year.”
Sturm has Irish previous having defeated Matthew Macklin via a questioned score card. The German favourite says he offered ‘Mack The Knife’ a rematch without any options, but thinks the fighter who challenges Sergio Martinez in March was too afraid to accept.
“I gave Macklin the second chance he asked for and he said no. I offered him the fight without any options. I am always ready to fight Macklin again, but I think he is a little afraid of me. He is a straight up fighter and knows he can’t do anything other than he did against me last year. I will beat him and knock him out if we met again.”
