Lee sticks to plan despite being dodged by champion

Andy Lee is hoping to make a November ring return after narrowly missing out on a world title shot against Miguel Cotto.

The Limerick middleweight was in the mix for a shot at the WBC world champion after recording a stunning fifth-round knockout win over American John Jackson on the undercard of Cotto’s title win over Sergio Martinez last June.

Cotto is expected to defend his belt in December at New York’s Madison Square Garden, but while it is believed that co-promoters Top Rank and US TV network HBO had both approved 30-year-old Lee as a potential opponent, the Castleconnell native believes the future hall-of-fame fighter’s backroom team shot down the idea.