Andy Lee: I have still to produce my best in the ring

Andy Lee has warned Billy Joe Saunders that he is still yet to produce his best in the ring and suggested that he may look for a first round knockout in their world title fight.

The WBO middleweight champion will fulfil a dream on September 19 when he headlines at Thomond Park, defending his title against mandatory challenger Saunders.

Both fighters have shown each other the utmost respect throughout the build-up so far, which has included press conferences in the venue itself and in London yesterday.

But Lee has changed gear with the stark warning that he is capable of securing a stoppage inside 40 seconds.

The London-born southpaw has proven himself as one of the world’s biggest pound-for-pound punchers with some vicious knockouts, including the one against Matt Korobov in December which secured him the title.

And Lee says it was an instinct honed under the tutelage of Emanuel Steward in his fabled Kronk Gym. Lee said: “Manny used to encourage me to go for the knockout, it wasn’t enough to win, it was all about the knockout.

“I should probably listen to my trainer Adam [Booth] but the first 40 seconds of a fight, or the first minute, is the most important. You can knock a fella out in the first minute with a punch that would usually never hurt him because his body’s not warmed up and not used to absorbing punches.

“I always like to try a man early. I always do.” Saunders, who was won the British, Commonwealth and European middleweight titles already in his career, has earned his No.1 position with the governing body.

But Lee believes the 25-year-old will have to produce something extra special to have any chance of dethroning him as champion.

He added: “There is always a first time for everything but he’s never fought anyone like me. I’ve fought similar guys to him and I’ve sparred good guys. He’s going to have to box better than he’s ever boxed before to beat me while I just have to fight slightly better than my regular fight. I will have to put in a good performance and raise my game but not to the extent that he will have to in order to beat me.

“He’ll have to be very anxious all the way through the fight because he will know at any stage if he makes one mistake I can turn the lights out.”