Photo courtesy of Frank Warren
In a much anticipated Middleweight clash, Irishman Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) makes his first WBO title defense against England’s undefeated challenger Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12 KOs) this Saturday at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
“Irish” Andy Lee is the slight favorite entering the fight, and for good reasons. Before fighting to a split draw against Peter Quillin in April of this year, Lee was on a six-fight winning streak, including a TKO victory over dangerous opponent Matt Korobov for the vacant WBO title.
Englishman Billy Joe Saunders is looking to shake up the division and become one of the best in the weight class alongside titlists Saul Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs. A notable victory over Chris Eubank Jr. in late 2014 leaped Saunders into becoming the No. 1 contender for the WBO strap.
Both prizefighters differ in style significantly. Lee is a slow starter that builds momentum as the fight progresses while Saunders fights at a fast tempo during the first half of the fight and slowly decreases in the second half.
The fight between the two middleweights may very well determine the supremacy of middleweight boxing in Europe and the winner will look to unify titles in the coming year.
Here are the three keys to victory for “Irish” Andy Lee against Billy Joe Saunders.
