Comeback King Lee digs deep to earn draw against Peter Quillin
COMEBACK Kid Andy Lee came from behind to secure a result for the third fight on the trot drawing with Peter Quillin in an intriguing if not all action bout in New York on Saturday night.
The WBO middleweight champion was dropped to the canvas in the first round and was down again in third, but Lee, who 12 months ago was registering a majority win over Frank Hortha, showed his now trade mark guts as well as composure and clawed his way back into the clash.
The Limerick Person of the Year banked a number of rounds in a bout that had a heavyweight feel in terms of both fighters were looking for the big shot and a knock down was always looming, before producing the right hook that has served him so well in his previous two fights to register a knock down of his own.
Lee became the first fighter to drop Quillin with the counter right cancelling out one of ‘Kid Chocolate’s’ knock down in the process. Lee then took more rounds down the stretch and earned a 113-112, 112-113, 113- 113 majority draw.
Lee’s WBO title wasn’t on the line as the American failed to make weight for the purposed title fight, but would have retained his title with the draw.
Lee, who fought with a cut over his left eye and had his jaw checked by the doctor midway through the massive bout, might also argue the second knock down, which came in a round he was dominating, was as of a result of his opponent standing on his toe rather than any shot on the chin. If that wasn’t ruled a knock down in the third Lee would have won the fight.
The Adam Booth trained fighter now looks set to defend his title against mandatory challenger Billy Joe Saunders in the Summer, possibly in Ireland.