Andy Lee (boxer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Lee
Lee celebrating a win in Limerick, 2008
Statistics
Nickname(s)	"Irish"
Rated at	Light-middleweight Middleweight Super-middleweight
Height	6 ft 2 in
Reach	75 in
Nationality	Irish
Born	(1984-06-11) 11 June 1984 (age 41) Bow, London, England
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	39
Wins	35
Wins by KO	24
Losses	3
Draws	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Ireland European Championships Bronze 2004 Pula Middleweight EU Championships Silver 2004 Madrid Middleweight World Junior Championships Silver 2002 Santiago de Cuba Middleweight

Andy Lee (born 11 June 1984) is a former Irish professional boxer. He competed from 2006 to 2017. He was the WBO middleweight champion from 2014 to 2015. He was the first person from the travelling community to win a major world boxing title. He is also the second cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. During his career, Andy Lee was trained by the famous Emmanuel Steward.

Early Life

Andy Lee was born in Bow, London, England. His parents were Irish Travellers. In 1998, his family moved back to Castleconnell, County Limerick in Ireland. Andy had started boxing at age eight in London. When he moved to Ireland, he joined St Francis ABC in Limerick. This is where his boxing journey truly began.

In 2005, Andy signed his first professional boxing contract. He moved to Detroit, Michigan, to live and train with Manny Steward. Steward was his manager and trainer until he passed away in 2012. After Steward's death, Lee moved to London. There, he began working with English trainer Adam Booth. With Booth, Andy Lee won the WBO belt in 2014. He was the first Irish boxer since 1934 to win a world title in America.

Amateur Boxing Career

Andy Lee represented Ireland in many important amateur boxing events. In 2002, he competed in the World Junior Championships in Santiago de Cuba. He won four fights but lost in the final. This earned him a silver medal in the middleweight category.

At the 2003 World Amateur Championships in Bangkok, he faced Gennady Golovkin. Golovkin later became a famous professional boxer. Andy Lee lost this fight on points.

In 2004, Lee went to the European Amateur Championships in Pula, Croatia. He won a bronze medal there. This win helped him qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics at just 19 years old. Later in 2004, he won a silver medal at the EU Amateur Championships.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Andy Lee won his first fight. He beat Mexican boxer Alfredo Angulo. In the next round, he fought Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam from Cameroon. The fight was a draw after four rounds. The judges then used a special rule to pick a winner. Lee lost, which ended his Olympic medal hopes. He was very sad about the result. But when he returned home, people treated him like a champion.

Andy Lee also won the Irish senior amateur middleweight title three times. He won it in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

After the Olympics, Andy Lee decided to become a professional boxer. He turned down money from the Irish Sports Council to stay amateur. Instead, he signed with trainer-manager Emanuel Steward. Steward had watched Lee since his junior championships. Lee then moved to the United States. He trained at Steward's famous Kronk Gym in Detroit.

His first professional fight was in March 2006. It took place in Detroit. Lee won his first fight against Anthony Cannon on points.

In December 2007, Andy Lee became the Irish Super-middleweight champion. He beat fellow Irishman Jason McKay in Dublin. Around this time, boxing experts like HBO and ESPN praised Lee. They called him a "top prospect" and a future star.

On March 21, 2008, Andy Lee had his first professional loss. He was stopped in the seventh round by Brian Vera. Lee was ahead on points, but the referee stopped the fight. Lee was tired and taking many punches.

Andy Lee continued to win many fights after this. He won against Willie Gibbs and Alexander Sipos. He also beat Olegs Fedotovs and Anthony Shuler. In 2009, he fought in his hometown of Limerick. He beat Affif Belghecham and Mamadou Thiam there. He kept winning fights, including against James Cook and Craig McEwan. In 2011, he got revenge on Brian Vera, beating him by a clear decision.

First World Title Shot: Lee vs. Chavez

On June 16, 2012, Andy Lee got his first chance to win a world title. He fought the undefeated champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for the WBC World Middleweight Title. The fight was in El Paso, Texas. Lee started well, using his jab and boxing smartly. But Chavez Jr. was stronger and heavier. He started to wear Lee down. In round 7, the referee stopped the fight. Lee was still standing, but he was taking many punches. Lee was actually ahead on the judges' scorecards when the fight was stopped.

Amazing Comeback: Lee vs. Jackson

After his loss to Chavez Jr., Andy Lee started training with Adam Booth. He won his next fight against Anthony Fitzgerald. On June 7, 2014, Lee fought John Jackson in Madison Square Garden. Jackson was a very hard puncher. In the first round, Jackson knocked Lee down. It was the first time Lee had ever been knocked down in his amateur or professional career. Lee lost the next three rounds. But in round 5, Jackson attacked Lee on the ropes. As Jackson moved in, Andy Lee landed a perfect right hook. It knocked Jackson out cold. This was an amazing comeback victory.

Winning the World Title: Lee vs. Korobov

After his knockout win over John Jackson, Andy Lee earned a shot at the WBO World Middleweight Title. He fought the undefeated Russian boxer Matt Korobov on December 13, 2014. The fight was in Las Vegas. It was a close fight at first. Lee hurt Korobov in the third round with a left punch. But Korobov recovered and seemed to be controlling the fight. Then, in round 6, Lee landed a big right hook. Korobov was badly hurt. Lee then threw 18 punches without Korobov hitting back. The referee stopped the fight, and Andy Lee won by TKO. He became the WBO World Middleweight Champion! This made him the first Irish boxer from Ireland to win a world title in America since 1934.

Defending the Title: Lee vs. Quillin

Andy Lee wanted to fight the best boxers. He decided to defend his WBO Title against former champion Peter Quillin. The fight was on April 11, 2015. Quillin failed to make the correct weight for the fight. This meant he could not win Lee's title, no matter the result. In the first round, Quillin knocked Lee down. In round 3, Lee went down again, but it was because Quillin stepped on his foot. The fight was very close. In the seventh round, Lee landed a strong left hand and a right hook. This sent Quillin to the canvas for the first time in his career. The fight went all 12 rounds. The judges scored it a split draw. This meant no one won, and Lee kept his title.

Losing the Title: Lee vs. Saunders

On December 19, 2015, Andy Lee defended his WBO Middleweight title against unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders. The fight was in Manchester, England. Lee started slowly, and Saunders knocked him down twice early in the fight. Lee fought back strongly in the second half of the fight. He outboxed Saunders for parts of it. But his late effort was not enough to make up for the early knockdowns. Lee lost the fight by a majority decision. This meant he lost his world title.

Final Fight: Lee vs. Leatherwood

In his last professional fight, Andy Lee fought KeAndrae Leatherwood. It was not a very exciting fight. Lee won by a unanimous decision after eight rounds.

Retirement and New Roles

On February 20, 2018, Andy Lee announced his retirement from boxing. He said he wanted to focus on his responsibilities as a father. In October 2018, he released his autobiography called Fighter. It tells the story of his life and how he became a world champion. Since retiring, Andy Lee has become a boxing trainer, manager, and commentator. He has trained boxers like Jason Quigley and Joseph Parker. He also helped train Tyson Fury for his big fight against Deontay Wilder in 2020.

Andy Lee's Boxing Record