Lee drops down and eyes Mayweather
Lee, who has campaigned at middleweight or above for his entire 33-fight career, has discovered he can comfortably make the 154lb light-middleweight limit.
Some simple dietary changes from the Limerick southpaw has enabled him to turn his back on his previous 160lb limit and a picture posted by his trainer Adam Booth on Twitter suggests that he is stronger than ever in his new division.
He told Examiner Sport: “I’ve been at this weight my whole career and when I was a 15-year-old amateur I was actually heavier than I am now. I just dismissed the idea of dropping down, I didn’t think it was possible. But I’d been at home in Ireland for two weeks and when I got back Adam brought me into the office to check my bodyfat and hydration levels. At that stage I was 14 per cent bodyfat and to him a fighter should be between eight and 10. That showed me that I could dry out to 154lbs safely.
It is a division which excites Lee, who had been stagnating slightly as part of a very competitive 160lb field. And he admits he is already eyeing the champions with confidence.
“There are so many fights at 154lbs and I would have a great advantage over a lot of them having been middleweight for so long,” he said.
One champion at the new level is Mayweather, the world’s pound-for-pound king. Lee added: “Adam said that we’re now getting into Floyd Mayweather territory. It’s fantasy at the moment and I’d have to beat a few guys before I get to Floyd.”
Lee, who is next in action against Frenchman Frank Horta in Denmark tomorrow week, says the prospect of an all-Irish blockbuster with Matt Macklin is still not dead in the water.
He said: “For a while I thought ‘this will never happen’ but I am confident now. It’s a grudge match that I want and Ireland wants. I think it’s closer to being made now than it ever has been.”
But what if Mayweather comes calling? “Floyd? I’d have to say sorry Macklin — it’s Mayweather time.”
