Lee aiming to Cannon way through Motown debut

IT HAS been a long time coming, but Irish Olympic boxer Andy Lee will try and savour every second of his professional debut in Detroit tonight.

Lee, 21, hung up his Irish vest 11 months ago after a glittering amateur career saw him win a bronze medal at the European Championships and reach the Athens Games as his country’s only boxing representative. Now, four months after signing with the legendary Kronk Gym, and its equally renowned trainer, Emanuel Steward, the Limerick fighter is set to step into the ring at the 20,000-seat Joe Louis Arena to begin life in the paid ranks against local fighter Anthony Cannon.

“The last time I boxed was last April, just short of a year ago and it’s been a long and hard road since then,” Lee said. “It’s been frustrating at times, but it’s all sorted out now. I’ve thought about this fight for a long time and now it’s here I’m going to enjoy it because it’s not going to happen again.

“This is a once in a lifetime thing, you only turn pro once, and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Lee will have family and friends at ringside in the Motor City tonight as he takes the unusual step of headlining a fight card in a major arena on his debut. He is also scheduled to fight six rounds rather than the customary four, but the Kronk new boy is letting none of that faze him.

“It just shows the confidence Emanuel has in me and the confidence I have in myself,” Lee said. “This is what I want and this is what everybody wants. I’m not going to shy away from it, it’s a good chance for me to showcase what I can do in front of a big crowd.

“All the hard work’s done now and I’m just focusing on the fight. I’m raring to go, I’m excited and I have my family here with me from Ireland, so the Lee clan is here and they’re all looking forward to some boxing.”

Lee has already had to learn one lesson about the pro game following the withdrawal of his original opponent last week. Canadian Nicholson Poulard had been slated to face the Irishman before he pulled out of the contest.

“I’m told these things are commonplace in professional boxing, especially early on in your career,” he said, philosophically.

“I think the guy was looking for more money and started humming and hawing. So someone said to him, look we don’t need you, we’ll bring in somebody else.

“It doesn’t worry me at all, I’m just focusing on myself and not worrying about who I’m fighting.

“I just know he’s a right-handed fighter and slightly shorter than me and had one fight, one win. That’s all I know, but at this early stage of my career it’s all about adjusting and getting used to the routine, getting ready and making weight and getting used to the whole experience of being a professional boxer.

“So it’s not really about the opponent but he’s going to be coming to fight and I won’t underestimate him. He’s 1 and 0 and it’s not like he’s an old guy on the slide, just taking the money. He’s not going to want to lose, so it should be a good fight.”