Coaching legend Steward runs rule over rising Irish star Lee

LEGENDARY boxing coach Emmanuel Steward has expressed an interest in training Limerick fighter Andy Lee.

Steward, who trains Lennox Lewis, has been in the corner of 28 other world champions including Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Homer Kenty, Leon Spinks, Gerald McCellan, Julio Cesar Chavez and Aaron Pryor.

Lee, who won an Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star award earlier this year, admitted to being chuffed by the interest shown in him. The St Francis ABC star yesterday admitted: “Emmanuel Steward has been inquiring about me all right.

“He wanted me to travel to America and train over there. At this point the goal is the Olympics. I want to represent my country at the Olympics. My dream is to win a medal.

“I am just 19 years of age and I have all the rest of my life to turn pro. Of course, at first I was delighted when I heard he was interested in me. I could not believe it. It is always nice to have such a big man like Emmanuel Steward who is so famous interested in you. It is a good sign.

“But you can’t get carried away. He is a legend. And, the first day, you could have just jumped at the chance but you have to keep your feet on the ground.

“Olympic qualification is my goal right now and that is difficult in itself. With the format we have to compete against all the Eastern Europeans. Qualifying out of Europe is the hardest. If you were from America, Africa, Australia you would only have four or five fights to qualify but here you have to go to three or four tournaments and get a gold or silver medal in them.

“If you finish in the top four in Europe you are automatically qualified but with the Europeans and the way things have gone it is very hard to win a fight, especially against the East European countries. You can’t think about it - you just have to go out there and win. Poland and Sweden are my qualifiers.”

The secretary of the Belfast ABC, Damian McCann, who initiated the contact with Steward is confident the relationship will prove to be successful. Lee first came to prominence when he won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Cuba in September of last year. In the quarter-finals he beat the Ukrainian and European champion, Ismail Silakh, and then beat the hard punching American champion, Jesus Gonzales from Phoenix, Arizona, in the semi-finals.

“As Secretary of the club I first initiated the contact with Emmanuel Steward by sending a club promotional booklet to the Detroit gym and, a few days after the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight in Memphis in June 2002, Steward telephoned me,” McCann said. “Since last June we have periodically kept in contact regarding club development and the amateur career of Ireland’s rising star, Andy Lee from Limerick.

“Later Steward said he had caught the Lee v Gonzales fight on video and was impressed and, since then, has watched his career unfold.

“Gonzales has turned pro with Bob Arum and signed a five year contract with a sign-on fee of $270,000 (€230,000).

“Steward said he was impressed with Andy’s counter-punch boxing style and measured long jabs, hit and move technique, an awesome style which opponents find difficult to penetrate.”