IRISH MIDDLEWEIGHT BOXER will return to the ring against Dubliner Anthony Fitzgerald next February.
The Belfast Odyssey Arena bout will be Lee’s first outing since he suffered a seventh-round stoppage when he gallantly challenged Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for the WBC middleweight title on 16 June in El Paso, Texas.
Before the stoppage Lee was ahead on all judges’ scorecards.
In recent months Lee has relocated his training base to London from Detroit to be trained by experienced boxing trainer, Adam Booth.
“It is a new start for me over here,” Lee explained.
“I was in America for a long time. I fought for a World title but it didn’t work out so I felt I needed a fresh start and for me to come back here and train with Adam has been a fresh start.”
“If I had stayed over there I would have stayed in the same place physically and metaphorically in my career as well.
Evaluation and losing Emanuel
“When you fight for World titles and don’t succeed you have to ask yourself why you didn’t succeed and you have to evaluate things,” Lee commented.
“I felt like I had gone as far as I could in Detroit and the only way forward was to change things.”
He added, “It was tough losing my friend and trainer Emanuel Steward on 25 October.
I trained with Emanuel, lived with him and was very close with him. Before he was sick I had already made my mind up to maybe try things with a new trainer. Unfortunately he was sick and passed away and that was a tough loss for me and everybody who was close to him.
“To get back to World title fights I have to win fights, it is as simple as that. We need one or two fights and then maybe fight one of the best lads from the British scene and that will put me right back in the mix and in touch of a title. I am not a million miles away, three or four fights and I am back in contention.”
Lee, who has won 28 pro bouts and lost two, is presently ranked seventh and ninth respectively in the WBC and WBA shake-up.
He sees this fight opening doors in the Britain and Ireland for domestic fights with boxers like Matthew Macklin, Darren Barker or Martin Murray.
Lee knows that the tough and durable Anthony Fitzgerald will be ‘no walk in the park’.
The Belfast bill is headlined by Carl Frampton’s shot at the European super bantamweight title against Kiko Martinez and also includes Belfast’s Martin Lindsay’s British and Commonwealth featherweight title challenge against Lee Selby.
Floor and tiered seats are on sale from the Odyssey Arena website, while ringside and inner-ringside tickets available from Matchroom Boxing’s website.
