Lee ready to break French resistance

WHEN Affif Belgecham, the European Union middleweight champion, arrived in Limerick on Thursday for tonight’s fight with Andy Lee at the University Arena, he was quick to point out that he wanted to make it a big double for France, whose footballers meet Ireland earlier in the evening at Croke Park in the crucial World Cup play-off.

Yesterday he came face to face with Lee at the weigh-in ahead of the Yanjing Beer Fight Night and while the Limerick southpaw did not get involved in any small-talk Lee made his intentions quite clear: this is his party and no one, least of all Belgecham, is not going to spoil it.

Lee paid little attention as the French champion weighed in at 11st 6lbs 8ozs and sought to have the weight converted into kilograms before tipping the scales himself at 11st 8lbs.