Lee may make first title defence in Ireland
Warren is the promoter of Billy Joe Saunders, who is Lee’s mandatory challenger following the Limerick man’s memorable victory in Las Vegas at the weekend.
It was Saunders who was initially supposed to face Matt Korobov for the vacant WBO title but Warren arranged a deal for his man to step aside in order to pursue a clash with Chris Eubank Junior.
That left Lee to compete in the Cosmopolitan on the basis that his first defence would be against the winner of Saunders/Eubank.
And, after securing a points win in that bout on November 29, Saunders is now in line to face Lee, who is desperate for the mouth-watering first defence to take place on Irish soil.
Warren has already spoken to Adam Booth, Lee’s trainer and manager, since the weekend and the pair will sit down next week to agree a deal for the fight, which should be scheduled to take place within the next three months, which makes a St Patrick’s Day showdown possible.
Warren said: “I thought Andy Lee boxed phenomenally well and I thought it was a fantastic stoppage. He’s a very dangerous man to be in the ring with. He’s got the power to turn a fight with one punch which is what he’s done in his last two.
“I think Adam Booth has done a fabulous job with him and it’s now set up the fight between him and Billy Joe Saunders which I think will be a real cracker in the first quarter of next year.
“We’d like to get it on before the end of March — that’s the name of the game. I spoke with Adam on Tuesday and we’re meeting again in the next week to nail it down. We’ll agree terms and a purse bid won’t be necessary.”
Lee has become something of a road warrior during his nomadic, 36-fight professional career and has so far fought just seven times on Irish soil, the last of those coming at Limerick’s University Arena in May 2010.
Warren added: “I’m sure he will want to do it in Ireland but that’s something that will need to be sorted out between the two camps.
“But wherever it makes sense to do it, wherever they can generate the most income is where it will take place.
“Ireland is a viable situation as is London. Billy Joe sold out the ExCeL. It was rammed out. He certainly made a lot of friends there that night with that performance.
“He got a lot of support and was well supported there. Him and Andy Lee is a bigger fight than him and Eubank. I think it would make more sense to do it in the UK but it’s all about sitting down and working it out between us.
“Andy is definitely the biggest puncher Billy Joe would have faced and both of these guys have the capacity to thrill the crowds.
“Everybody loves punchers and Bill is never involved in a boring fight. That mix will make a great fight and thankfully it is now going to happen and first quarter we will see it.”
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