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 is a famous Irish former professional boxer. He was born on June 11, 1984. Andy competed in boxing from 2006 to 2017. He achieved a big dream by winning the WBO middleweight title. This happened between 2014 and 2015. He was the first person from the travelling community to win such a major world boxing title. Andy Lee is also a second cousin to the former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. During his professional career, Andy was trained by the well-known coach, Emmanuel Steward.

Early Life and Training

Andy Lee was born in Bow, London, England. His parents were Irish Travellers. In 1998, when Andy was 14, his family moved back to Castleconnell, County Limerick in Ireland. He had started boxing at age eight in London. When he moved to Ireland, Andy and his brothers joined St Francis ABC in Limerick. This is where his boxing career really began to grow.

In 2005, Andy signed his first professional contract. His trainer and manager was Manny Steward. Andy then moved to Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. He lived and trained with Steward until Steward passed away in 2012. After this sad event, Andy moved back to London. There, he started working with English trainer Adam Booth. With Booth's help, Andy 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. This event took place in Santiago de Cuba. He fought five times in one week. He beat strong opponents like Ismail Sillakh and Jesus Gonzales. Andy won a silver medal after losing in the final to Noelvis Diaz from Cuba.

In 2003, Andy competed in the World Amateur Championships in Bangkok. He was beaten by Gennady Golovkin, who later became a famous boxer.

Andy went to Pula, Croatia, for the European Amateur Championships in 2004. He won a bronze medal there. This win helped him qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics at just 19 years old. In June 2004, he also won a silver medal at the EU Amateur Championships. He lost to the experienced former world champion, Marian Simion.

At the 2004 Olympics, Andy's first fight was against Mexican boxer Alfredo Angulo. Andy won this fight on points. In the second round, he faced Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam from Cameroon. The fight ended in a draw after four rounds. The winner was decided by a "count-back," and the Cameroonian boxer won. Andy was very disappointed. He felt he did not fight his best. But when he returned home, people treated him like he had won a gold medal.

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

Professional Boxing Journey

After the Olympics, Andy decided to become a professional boxer. He turned down an offer to continue as an amateur. Instead, he signed a contract with trainer-manager Emanuel Steward. Steward had been watching Andy since the World Junior Championships. Andy then moved to the United States. He trained at Steward's famous Kronk Gym in Detroit. Steward was very impressed with Andy. He said Andy was ready to spar right after a long flight from Ireland. Andy quickly showed his talent.

His first professional fight was in March 2006. It took place in Detroit. Andy beat Anthony Cannon on points over six rounds. In December 2007, Andy became the Irish Super-middleweight champion. He beat fellow Irishman Jason McKay in Dublin.

In April 2007, HBO called Andy one of boxing's top young talents. His coach Steward believed Andy would soon defeat the world champion. In December 2007, ESPN also listed Andy as a top prospect. They said he had the potential to be a great middleweight star. They praised his skills, power, and friendly personality outside the ring.

On March 21, 2008, Andy had his first professional loss. He lost by TKO in the seventh round to Brian Vera. Andy was winning on points before the referee stopped the fight. However, he had been taking heavy punches and was tired.

Big Fights and World Title Win

Andy continued to fight and win. He beat Willie Gibbs in July 2008. In March 2009, he defeated Alexander Sipos. This win was special because it happened exactly one year after his first loss. In June 2009, he won against Olegs Fedotovs in Germany. He also stopped Andy Shuler in August 2009.

In November 2009, Andy fought in his hometown of Limerick. He beat Frenchman Affif Belghecham. He also stopped Mamadou Thiam the next year in the same place. Andy continued his winning streak with knockouts against James Cook in July 2010 and Craig McEwan in March 2011. He also got revenge against Brian Vera in October 2011, winning by unanimous decision.

First World Title Shot: Lee vs. Chavez Jr.

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

Comeback and Championship Victory

After the loss to Chavez Jr., Andy started training with Adam Booth. He returned to winning ways in February 2013. He beat Anthony Fitzgerald in Belfast.

On June 7, 2014, Andy fought John Jackson in Madison Square Garden. Jackson was a hard puncher. In the first round, Andy was knocked down for the first time in his career. He lost the next three rounds. But in round 5, as Jackson attacked, Andy landed a perfect right hook. He knocked Jackson out completely. This was an amazing comeback!

This knockout win earned Andy a shot at the WBO World Middleweight Title. On December 13, 2014, he fought the undefeated Russian boxer, Matt Korobov. The fight was in Las Vegas. It was a close match. In round 6, Andy hurt Korobov with a right hook. He then landed 18 unanswered punches. The referee stopped the fight, and Andy won by TKO. He became the WBO World Middleweight Champion! This made him the first Irishman from Ireland to win a world title in America since 1934.

Title Defenses and Retirement

After winning the title, Andy wanted to fight the best. He defended his WBO Title against former champion Peter Quillin on April 11, 2015. Quillin did not make the correct weight for the fight. This meant he could not win Andy's title, no matter the result. In the fight, Andy was knocked down twice. But he also knocked Quillin down in the seventh round. The fight was very close and ended in a split draw. This meant the judges had different scores, and no one won.

On December 19, 2015, Andy defended his title against unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders. The fight took place in Manchester, England. Andy started slowly, and Saunders scored two knockdowns. Andy fought back strongly in the later rounds. But his late effort was not enough to win. He lost a close decision, and Saunders became the new champion.

In his last fight, on March 18, 2017, Andy fought KeAndrae Leatherwood. Andy won this fight by a unanimous decision.

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. Since retiring, Andy has become a boxing trainer, manager, and commentator. He has trained boxers like Jason Quigley and Joseph Parker. He was also an assistant trainer for Tyson Fury in his big rematch against Deontay Wilder in February 2020.