Lee: Next Stop World Title
By Jonny Stapleton
After completing his nights work and getting Bryan Vera redemption Andy Lee revealed he will take a ring side seat and watch his next opponent in action.
The Kronk contender believes if he defeats the tough Texan on the under card of Sergio Martinez and Darren Barker’s WBC Diamond title fight he will get a shot of at the main event winner.
Lee’s promoters Lou DiBella also looks after Martinez, who is expected to stop Barker, and a fight between the pair can easily be made.
The New York based promoter has even hinted at a St Patrick’s Day world title tilt for the former Olympian. The only stumbling block being DiBella has all but promised Lee’s stable mate and fellow Irish middleweight contender Matthew Macklin a Martinez tilt on March 17.“After I win I will take a ring side seat and watch Barker and Martinez. I want the winner of that fight. After this fight we are going for a world title. I turned pro in 2006 and I turned pro to become world champion. I’ve had an upset loss to Vera, and once I avenge that there will be nothing more for me to do really than fight the best, and that will be Sergio or Barker,” Lee explained.
“Whoever wins the fight, that’s who I want to fight. But really, that’s in the back of my mind. My full focus is on Vera and once I win that fight I’ll see where the land lays, but I have no fear of Martinez. I have no fear of anybody in the middleweight division.”
Lee is aware there is a bit of a Mexican stand off between himself, Macklin and Martinez but believes the there are big fights down the line between the trio.
“Macklin was really unlucky against Sturm in Germany. I thought he won that fight, but he came out looking good as a result. Although he lost, he takes a lot of credit from it and now he’s moved to America. I think and he’s planning on fighting here to build on that. I wish him well. He’s a good friend of mine and he’s got a good future, I think. He needs a couple of big fights. He needs to fight in America, and once he does that there are big fights down the line between me and him, him and Sergio, me and Sergio. We’re all under Lou DiBella now. Ronald Hearns is there, Manfredo. So there is a good mix of middleweights under Lou DiBella’s promotion that could fight each other. So we’ll see what happens.”
