IRELAND’S ONLY TWO-TIME world champion Steve Collins is backing Andy Lee to snatch the WBC middleweight crown from Julio Cesar Chavez jnr, when the pair clash in El Paso next June.
“It’s Andy Lee’s time, he was a top level amateur, and he has built up his pro career steadily, it’s the right fight at the right time for him,” The Celtic Warrior, a champ said this week.
“At six-foot Chavez is big for a middleweight but Lee is taller again, he’s six-foot-two, Chavez won’t be used to being the smaller man in the ring, and that reach advantage will come in useful, the other thing is Lee can box, he was a classy amateur and he knows how to box properly.
“The pro game is more about fighting than boxing but Lee’s style can catch the eyes of the judges, he is a sharper puncher than Chavez.
“Chavez was always going to be hyped-up because of who his dad was but while he is a decent fighter he is nothing out of the ordinary, he beat John Duddy and by all accounts he had to turn in a career best performance to do that.
“No disrespect to Duddy but if Chavez had to work really hard to beat him it says a lot and I would certainly have Andy Lee at Duddy’s level or higher. Andy has the right man in his corner in Manny Steward, he’s been there done it and wore that many fight tee shirts he could paper his house with them.”
Collins is convinced Limerick man Lee will just have too much class for the hometown champion.
“I don’t think he will knock Chavez out, I am not sure he has the power to do that, funnily enough power can come to a fighter over night, something a lot of people fail to appreciate, but I believe Lee will out point him.
“Fighting a Mexican in Texas is the same as fighting him in Mexico and the crowd will be right behind Chavez, and I can guarantee Andy will never have fought in an atmosphere like they will create. But if he stays cool, keeps the head, and boxes to his best he’ll bring the belt home with him.”