Andy Lee fights friday night.

[dutchie]

Andy Lee has accepted a fight for this friday night against American James Cook,dont know much about this guy,thought Andy was holding out for Martinez,maybe a steppingstone to Martinez i dont know,your thoughts please.

[bennie]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

[Deno1986]

Poor opponent - 'keep busy' fight or not. Someone like Darnell Boone would have been a good ticking over fight. Andy should have this fella out of there in two or three rounds, anything else would be dissapointing.

[Counter-puncher]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

crikey, fair play bennie, that's all so brutal but true. brilliant.

[whiskey]

What an embarrassment. The opponent sounds like the hillbilly from deliverance.

Is this being held at a circus showground along with a little carni as referee, with bearded card girls?

[JamesH]

Sitting on the fence again Bennie Good report..

[BigEars]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

crikey, fair play bennie, that's all so brutal but true. brilliant.

Actually it's not, There were no female amateur fighters on the undercard of Andy Lee's fight with Thiam(Katie Taylor withdrew from the card with a broken nose). Also he paints a slightly inaccurate picture of the fight with Vera, making it seem if Vera was handling Lee a merciless beating for 7 consecutive rounds. In truth Lee won the first 6 rounds(including flooring Vera) but was starting to take hefty fire from about the 4th on. The round he was stopped in though was the only one in which he hadn't dished out more than he took.

He didn't struggle at all with Gibbs, and easily outboxed Belghecham for 9 rounds. Of course it was the 10th round of that fight which Bennie talks about when he talks about being bust up, running out of gas and barely surviving. It was 1 round for godsake and he's had 46 rounds since he fought Vera. I'm not saying that there aren't valid points in that piece(there certainly are) and he's probably right in that Cook will offer no test to Lee, the only purpose of the bout is to stay sharp and get some exposure(the fight is being covered by ESPN), but the alternative is to not fight at all. What I'm getting at here is that although some of what Bennie says is right, he goes too far and it verges on anti-lee hyperbole. He writes in the style an autor would pen an article, and if this were a proper article the only firm impression I'd get from it is that he doesn't like Andy Lee very much at all, infact you could say he probably has a strong dislike of Lee.

[Counter-puncher]

Bigears- Andy Lee is fighting in Oklahoma. against a guy with 2 fights since 2004, or whatever.

if you don't think that merits some sardonic tone, good luck to you mate.

[JimJim2009]

This is on the ESPN show which UK fans can see, if you've Virgin media or something similar. Its on the undercard to Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-1) vs Ashley Theophane (26-4-1). ESPN currently have it scheduled for 8am Sat morning, UK time. That could change though, ESPN often moves the boxing show around....

[slapbangwhallop]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

crikey, fair play bennie, that's all so brutal but true. brilliant.

eh, nah! there is barely a grain of truth in the whole post, humourous as it may be, its all bullshít!

p.s. Lee would stand Barker on his head if they faced on September 18th! ;)

[ApolloCreed]

It was 1 round for godsake and he's had 46 rounds since he fought Vera

I have to agree with bennie.
One round 'for God's sake' is enough to end a career.
You'd swear he was taking on world-ranked fighters and holding his own for 46 out of 47 rounds - he's been fighting bums and nearly got caught out by one.
He's now taking an absolutely pathetic fight - he would be better not taking this, regardless.

[Counter-puncher]

you make a good point about Lee and Barker slappy. Lee is obviously doing his level best to make Barker's standard of opposition look good. which is no mean feat, it must be said.

kudos, then, to Lee for going even lower into the depths of bottomfeeding than Barker, whose bum of the month club currently includes that he's about to fight a former european champ and WBC rated middleweight. what a bum this Barker fella is. he needs to get out to Oklahoma where all the big boys are fighting.

[slapbangwhallop]

you make a good point about Lee and Barker slappy. Lee is obviously doing his level best to make Barker's standard of opposition look good. which is no mean feat, it must be said.

kudos, then, to Lee for going even lower into the depths of bottomfeeding than Barker, whose bum of the month club currently includes that he's about to fight a former european champ and WBC rated middleweight. what a bum this Barker fella is. he needs to get out to Oklahoma where all the big boys are fighting.

I am not calling Cook the step up that I would like to see Lee in against but to be fair he was being promised a shot at Barker by Peters this Autumn and looks like he has been "guzumped" by Macklin.

You might call Cook a bum but what evidence have you to make such a claim - the two guys he fought since 2008 are on a par with anything Barker has ever faced in my opinion.

Lee is obviously on the show because it will get "nationwide" coverage and because he has fornicate all else to do until something is sorted out following the Barker fight falling through.

[bennie]

This is another Bruno-Gardner. Cook does not belong in the same ring with Lee, who for all his troubles in recent fights, can obviously whack. Cook is just going to get hurt.

[Counter-puncher]

I am not calling Cook the step up that I would like to see Lee in against .

understatement of the wek, more kudos, Lee-Collins is the gift that keeps on giving to this thread

[slapbangwhallop]

I am not calling Cook the step up that I would like to see Lee in against .

understatement of the wek, more kudos, Lee-Collins is the gift that keeps on giving to this thread

You've lost me on that to be honest.

You have also pretty much avoided/ignored every point I made and prefer to feed into Bennies semi-troll like anti-Lee rant. Fair enough, each to their own.

[Counter-puncher]

heh, ignored/avoided, you act like you actually made a load of points to be avoided.

You might call Cook a bum but what evidence have you to make such a claim - the two guys he fought since 2008 are on a par with anything Barker has ever faced in my opinion.

what evidence do I have? he fights 4 rounders. In Oklahoma. And Kansas City.

what evidence do you have that his opponents were on a par with anything Barker faced?

Lee is obviously on the show because it will get "nationwide" coverage and because he has fornicate all else to do until something is sorted out following the Barker fight falling through.

Lee was going to fight Barker? i must have missed that. Do you have evidence of a contract being signed?

You might call Cook a bum

no i didn't.

[slapbangwhallop]

Cook has fought ONE four rounder in Oklaholma since 2001 and in that he drew with an unbeaten fighter with a record of 9-0, that same fighter has gone on to win his next 17 fights knocking out most of those guys. The other two of his last three fights were 8 rounders and he knocked both those guys out including Juan Astorga.

In his last eight fights he is 6-1-1, all of his wins coming by knockout.

What evidence do I have that Barkers opponents are on a par with those that Barker has faced? Have a look at their BoxRec records mate. Cook maybe be poor and I would prefer to see Lee in against better but Cook is just as good if not better than a lot guys Barker has faced.

When did I say there was a contract for Lee-Barker? I said Peters promised him Barker (or similar level fighter) in the Autumn. http://www.boxing-ireland.com/andy_lee_2.html

Bennie was basically calling Cook a bum - you said you agreed with Bennies trolling - ergo!

[kellybluegloves]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

Tosser.

[Alba]

What an embarrassment. The opponent sounds like the hillbilly from deliverance.

Is this being held at a circus showground along with a little carni as referee, with bearded card girls?

you got any pics ?

[markp]

You have to love the Irish DD

[kellybluegloves]

You have to love the Irish DD

You have to pity the trolling British DD

[Bricks]

Once-beaten Andy Lee ticks over in a nothing eight-rounder with Missouri's James Cook in Oklahoma later this week (Friday).
The big southpaw from Limerick, who fights out of America, is still rebuilding from a disastrous seven-round pounding at the hands of Contender failure Brian Vera in Connecticut in 2008, which took away his unbeaten record and all talk of pending world title glory for the former Olympian, paid half a million dollars by Emanuel Steward to go pro in 2006, although he is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA.
Lee, 26, was dropped down a level afterwards but has still struggled, busting up in fights and requiring plastic surgery, running out of gas and barely surviving, falling in and out of love with Steward and the States, and then there was the ignominy of his last outing against Mamadou Thiam in Limerick in May when the ageing Frenchman bailed out after two rounds claiming a back injury. Frankly, a female amateur on the card would have given Lee a better fight.
The clue to the depth of this Friday's fight is the location. Oklahoma is the ultimate tank-town state and Cook, the ultimate tank-towner, as pitiful as it gets as an opponent. The American has fought just twice since 2004, one of them a four-round draw, and will do well to make it past the first round.

Why are you trying to pretend your writing a newspaper article?

YOur opinions and insults are disgustingly troll like.

[Dioufy]

I would say that over 90% of this sub-forum enjoy reading what Bennie has to say, and I would also say that he's spot-on over 90% of the time with his posts, too. I tend to agree with him regarding Andy Lee as well. He's definitely not "troll-like."

[Autobarn]

great comments from bennie and g0mez

"ticking over" and "nothing" fight - we get quite a bit of that, don't we.

LOL at the hillbilly DELIVERENCE comment.