Andy Lee will be back boxing next month after over a year out of the ring.
Lee hasn’t fought since losing his WBO middleweight title against Billy Joe Saunders in 2015 in disappointing circumstances. The Limerick boxer lost the bout, which was originally due to take place in Thomond Park, at the Manchester Arena.
However, Lee says he is refreshed and ready to go again after his extended break. The 32-year-old will fight American boxer KeAndrae Leatherwood on March 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Andy Lee to the rescue https://t.co/YCdWLcB0LT
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 8, 2017
Lee will compete on the under-card of Gennady Golovkin’s bout with Danny Jacobs, and he has the winner of that fight in his sights, as well as a retirement date.
The middleweight is evidently entering the final stage of his career.
“To be brutally honest, I only want to fight for another year, maybe 16 months,” Lee told Newstalk on Wednesday evening.
“I can’t see myself going too far beyond that.”
Lee also said he’s aiming to fight for a world title again, and a victory over Leatherwood, who has a professional record of 19 wins, 3 losses and a draw, is the “first step” to doing so.
“This is the first step. I’ll get active again, I’ll move myself up in the rankings,” Lee said.
“KeAndrae Leatherwood is a good fighter, a serious opponent. I know I’m in for a hard fight. But this fight will get me active again and then push on and put myself back in the frame for fighting those guys.
“I want the big fights and I’m ready to fight the winner of the main event in the next fight or the fight after that.”
Lee, who has a professional record of 34 wins, three losses and a draw, evidently wants to get out of boxing at the top and says his return to the ring is purely down to his love for the sport.
“At this stage, I’ve achieved everything I wanted to do in the ring,” the 32-year-old said.
“I’m not doing it for money. I’m just doing it because I love the game. I love boxing, competing and training.
“I’m fighting without any pressure on myself and whatever comes my way, comes my way.”
