PROMOTERS EXPECT TO see a sizable Irish contingent at ringside when Sergio Martinez goes toe-to-toe with the undefeated Ukranian Sergei Dzinziruk on Saturday night – but the lads with the tricolours won’t be there to see the main event.
Instead, they will be there to cheer on Castleconnell man Andy Lee whose middleweight bout against Craig McEwan will be the principal attraction on the evening’s undercard.
Lee’s fight against the Scot was hastily arranged after his scheduled opponent, John Duddy, announced his decision to retire at the age of 31 in the middle of January.
As no contract had been signed for the $100,000 fight, Lee needed to find another opponent if he wanted to get paid.
The money, though, was likely to have been a secondary concern in the Limerick man’s mind. He is currently ranked at number five in the middleweight division by the WBA and he knows that a win on Saturday would leave him in line for a title shot before the end of the year.
That shot would most likely come against Kazakh boxer Gennadiy Golovkin who currently holds the regular WBA Middleweight belt.
RTE.ie features comments from Lee who assured reporters that he is perfectly prepared to extend his nine-fight unbeaten streak, a run which stretches back to March 2008.
I am very confident of winning this fight, training has gone extremely well and I’m physically and mentally prepared.
I am totally focussed on the job I have to do. On March 12 my aim is to put on a good performance and take care of business.
Lee is not overconfident, however, showing huge respect for McEwan who was very impressive as an amateur before turning pro in 2006.
I’m in against an undefeated, hungry and tricky technical boxer with a snappy jab, so there is a lot to be said about that. However, I have the talent any skill to out box McEwan and also the tools to knock him out.
Even if it goes into the trenches I’m ready and armed for a bloody war. Believe me I aim to win; This is an all or nothing fight.
Both fights will be shown live on Setanta Ireland this weekend with coverage beginning at 2am Saturday night / Sunday morning.
