Lee targets title fight within next 12 months

WHEN Matthew Macklin challenges Sergio Martinez for his WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine belts at the MSG Theatre in New York on St Patrick’s Day, Andy Lee will have more than a passing interest in the fight.

The Limerick southpaw is not happy to just share the undercard on what will be a big night for Irish boxing fans in New York — he wants the opportunity to challenge the winner. In fact, Lee feels 2012 is going to be his year.

The Martinez-Macklin showdown is just one of a number of big middleweight contests scheduled for the first quarter of this year and Lee will be happy to get a shot at any one of the winners before the year is out. Apart from the Martinez-Macklin fight, which has been on the cards for some time, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr defends his WBC belt against Marco Antonio Rubio on February 4, and Daniel Geale defends his IBF crown against a yet to be named opponent on March 7.