Lee faces into hectic six-week schedule

ANDY Lee is facing into a hectic six-week schedule as he plans two quick-fire contests.
The 26-year-old Limerick pro-boxer has two fights scheduled for the coming weeks, but neither are to take place in Limerick.


The Castleconnell middleweight will be back in the ring on September 17 when he fights Michael Walker at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
Lee will headline the 10-fight card with a 10-round contest against Walker who is a home town favourite.
Thirty-two-year-old Walker has 19 wins from his 25 pro-fights, but has suffered losses in his last three contests. Walker has only fought twice in 2010 and only had one fight in 2009.
Lee, meanwhile, stretched his unbeaten run to seven fights last month when he recorded his 22nd professional boxing win in the Buffalo Run Casino in Oklahoma. The fifth round knockout of James Cook was Lee’s seventh straight win since his only career defeat of March 2008 when he surprisingly lost to Brian Vera.
The win over 32-year-old Cook of Missouri was the Castleconnell man’s fourth knockout win out of his last seven bouts.
If the former St. Francis Boxing Club Olympian is successful on September 17 he could be back in action just two weeks later with an October 2 date provisionally marked into his diary.
That bout will take place in the Horseshoe Casino in Indiana - a venue where Lee defeated Anthony Shuler last August.
“I have to say it’s great to be back in action so soon. I need to keep busy, after only fighting twice so far this year it will serve me well to stay active,” said Lee of his busy schedule.
Although Walker’s recent record points to a Lee win the Limerick man is taking nothing for granted.
“Michael Walker is no push over. I will have to be on top of my game, especially fighting him in his home town. He will try and train even harder for this fight, but I’ll be ready for him. I know him well, I’ve watched him fight a few times and know his style. He’s a tough, rugged, aggressive fighter, but he is short and one paced so I will use my height and speed and look to out box him,” said Lee.
Meanwhile another of Limerick’s professional boxers Willie Casey was also due to fight in September, but he is no longer on the Barry McGuigan promoted event on September 18 in the Ulster Hall in Belfast.
That event will be headlined by Carl Frampton and was also to include Casey, but the 28-year-old super bantamweight has been withdrawn.
Last month the Southill man extended his record to ten wins from ten bouts and moved up to number nine in the Euro rankings following his win over Italian Emiliano Salvini in an eight round super bantamweight in Dublin’s City-West Hotel Complex.

Jerome O’Connell