Fight or farce? Lee’s opponent changes yet again

IRISH middleweight boxer Andy Lee has been forced to deal with yet another change of opponent just 36 hours before his scheduled appearance in New York.

Detroit-based Lee, 21, has a slot on tomorrow night’s pay-per-view television card promoted by Irish Ropes in support of John Duddy’s IBA world and WBC Continental Americas titles defence against Anthony Bonsante at the Madison Square Garden Theatre. But while the Emanuel Steward-trained former Olympian has been preparing to stretch his unbeaten record as a professional to eight fights this weekend, he has had to contend with at least four different announced opponents.

Lee, from Limerick, was originally scheduled to meet Brazil’s Cleiton Conceicao until he was dropped following a defeat 10 days ago in Las Vegas. Then Hector Hernandez, of Arizona, came into the reckoning at the weekend, only for Lee to learn on Tuesday that he had been replaced by a New York journeyman called Levan Easley.