Lee prepares for Detroit debut but vows to fight here

IRISH middleweight Andy Lee is gearing himself up for his professional debut in the USA in the New Year.

The former St Francis Limerick southpaw said yesterday that he would fight at the Palace in Detroit on January 28 against an opponent yet to be named.

Lee, 21, signed a five-year contract with renowned American coach Emanuel Stewart on Wednesday and will fight out of Stewart’s famous Kronk gym in Detroit. However, the 2004 Irish Olympian says that while he will be based in the States, that he also hopes to fight in Ireland.

“I am eagerly looking forward to making my professional debut in late January and I can’t wait to get in the ring,” said Lee.

“I will be based in the States and the majority of my fights will be there but I will also fight in Ireland in the future. I returned home for the holidays but I will be travelling back to Detroit in early January for training,” he added.

It is expected that Stewart will arrive in Ireland either this week or early in the new year for a press conference to formally announce Lee’s five-year contract.

Promoter Don King does not feel Danny Williams’ victory over Audley Harrison has put him back in the frame for a shot at the world heavyweight title.

The Brixton fighter beat arch-rival Harrison on points last week and his promoter Frank Warren is understood to want to set up a title eliminator between Williams and Matt Skelton.

Williams has already made one world title attempt but was beaten by Vitali Klitschko last year.

“I don’t think the win (over Harrison) can equate to Williams being put into the top five or six heavyweights in the world,” King said.

“(Harrison) was not a top heavyweight. He just had a big name in England because he had won at the Olympics. (Williams) holds a victory over Mike Tyson but Tyson had diminished quite a bit, but I wish Danny well. He won the fight with Audley and that was an all-time rivalry between the two and that was great for the British fans. Let’s see what happens. Maybe he gets another test.”

King is more fond of fellow British heavyweight Skelton, whom he hailed as a “great prospect.”

Asked whether he intends to take him over to the States, King replied: “Yes, I would do that. Frank Warren and I can work together very well. I think Skelton is a great prospect so we will see what we can do with him.”