Lee the most watched fighter Stateside since Golden Boy De La Hoya

ANDY Lee’s clash with Peter Quillin in New York on Saturday pulled in more viewers than any boxing match since 1998.

The split decision draw played out in front of 2.9 million viewers on NBC and the Network claim it makes it the most watched fight card since Oscar De La Hoya, who now promotes Irish duo Jamie Kavanagh and Jason Quigley, fought on Fox in 1998.

The free to air clash wasn’t for a title, as Quillin didn’t make weight, leaving Lee to claim reputation was on the line, but it seems profile and new fans were at stake too. Such a massive audience will only help Lee’s profile Stateside and increase his chances of a lucrative return after the proposed Billy Joe Saunders defence.

While 2.9 million tuned in for the exciting middleweight clash the audience peaked at 3.4 million when Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson traded leather in another non title bout.