Lee to fight Despaigne

Irish middleweight Andy Lee will meet ex-Pan American Games champion Yordani Despaigne from Cuba in Liverpool on Friday night.

Lee is part of an 11-man Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland, Four Nations boxing team taking on Cuba on Merseyside, and at the National Stadium in Dublin on April 15.

St Saviours’ Karl Brabazon and Neilstown’s Ken Egan, who was narrowly beaten by Despaigne in the world championships in Belfast in 2001, will join Lee.

Five times national champion Egan will meet Ismaikel Perez Perez in the 81Kg Division, while Brabazon faces Jorge Herrera Daniel (69Kg), at the Olympia in Liverpool.

The trio booked their places on the 11-man squad after winning gold medals at the recent Four Nations in Liverpool - with Lee comfortably beating Scotland’s Craig McEwan in his final.

Meanwhile, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) has confirmed that they will not be sending a team to Finland for the GeeBee Multi Nations tournament on April 8.