Lee determined to get back on track

Boxing: Andy Lee is intent on giving the fans in his hometown a fight to remember when he takes on Willie "The Gladiator" Gibbs at the University Sports Arena in Limerick next month.

The Detroit-based fighter was left reeling after the first defeat of his career at the hands of Brian Vera in March, but has been training in Austria in the hope of getting back on track against the American who boasts 16 knock-outs from 20 wins.

The 24-year-old has been sparring with world heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko, who is also under the tutelage of Kronk Gym trainer Emanuel Steward, as he looks to prepare for the strength of the hard-hitting Gibbs.

Having just got the defeat to Vera out of system and identified what led to the defeat, Lee is ready to make amends when he and Gibbs meet on July 19th.

"A win over Gibbs will probably put me ahead of where I'd have been even if I'd beaten Brian Vera so I'm in no doubt that Gibbs will be treating this fight against me the very same as Vera did," said the Athens Olympian.

"He sees this as his big chance to get back on top. His only defeats have been to top guys in America so he's a very dangerous fighter and his record shows that he can punch too.

"I could have taken an easier opponent but I don't think that would have been right. Limerick people know their sport and I wouldn't expect them to turn up and pay good money to see me have an easy night.

"They pay good money to see a good fight, and I think myself and Gibbs will certainly give them their money's worth."

Lee will be determined not to get dragged into a brawl like he was against Vera and knows he will have to control the fight better than he did in March.

"I suppose there was a macho element involved because when he got through with some good shots I wanted to get in my reply straight away," said Lee of the Vera fight, "so that led me into a brawl and what has always stood to me in my career has been my boxing skills but that went out the window when the crowd started cheering and I got drawn into his fight. That was a valuable lesson."

Also on the card is Derry's Paul McCloskey, who has been making quiet but impressive progress in the light-welterweight division and takes on English champion Nigel Wright.

The 28-year-old southpaw will be hoping to make it 17 professional wins against Wright, who lost a Commonwealth title fight against the Nigerian-born Ajose Olusegun in February.  It was the third defeat of the Durham fighter's career but he has had 18 wins and nine knock-outs in a seven-year professional career.

Welterweight prospect Stephen Haughian from Lurgan and Galway's John O'Donnell will also feature.