logo
Andy Lee's burgeoning career as a trainer looks set to make him one of boxing's main characters

Andy Lee's burgeoning career as a trainer looks set to make him one of boxing's main characters

The 425 days ago
KATIE TAYLOR'S THIRD success over Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden accounted for most of the boxing coverage in Ireland last weekend but Off-Broadway in this country's news cycle, Taylor's fellow Irish boxing great furthered his own case for being the best in the world.
About 18 kilometres off Broadway, to be more precise. A night after Taylor's triumph, at the Louis Armstrong tennis stadium in Flushing, Queens, Andy Lee added the latest feather to his cap as a trainer, steering Englishman Hamzah Sheeraz to a victory that caught the eye of the boxing world.
The 26-year-old Sheeraz appeared to have been on an inexorable ascent at middleweight as recently as February, reeling off 21 straight wins with 17 of them quick, but a highly fortunate draw with world champion Carlos Adames on the Artur Beterbiev-Dimitry Bivol rematch card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, had made him look distinctly human, bearing some Sheeraz's inefficiencies for the first time on the biggest stage.
Sheeraz split with his Los Angeles-based trainer, Ricky Funez, and turned instead to Dublin, where former middleweight champ Andy Lee supervised his jump to super-middleweight and lit the rocket under him once more.
Last Saturday in Queens, in his first fight as a 168-pounder, Sheeraz stopped inside five rounds Edgar Berlanga (previously 23-1, 18KOs), the explosive Puerto Rican who had taken Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez the distance only a couple of fights prior.
The result on paper would have been enough to catch the eye of any boxing fan who missed the fight, but the finish was a real head-turner.
Sheeraz, his nose bloodied in the early exchanges, rediscovered the nasty gear that had been missing against Adames. He dropped Berlanga twice, hard, in the fourth, only for 'The Chosen One' to be saved by the bell. But Sheeraz closed the show almost instantaneously at the start of the fifth, his first three punches of the round dropping Berlanga again and forcing the intervention of referee David Fields.
Coach Lee never actively chased the spotlight during his career as a fighter — although more of it would have been nice — but having already proven a highly popular pundit on either side of the Atlantic, the Limerick man looks destined to become one of boxing's main characters as a trainer.
Berlanga appeared to acknowledge this on some level at the launch press conference in May, warning Sheeraz across the top table: 'I'mma fuck you up and Andy Lee on the same night, you heard?'
'It's crazy,' Lee told his British middleweight contemporary Darren Barker during a sit-down interview the following day. 'It's funny. I like the attention.
Advertisement
'What's he targeting me for?' Lee laughed. 'But I like it. And I like him (Berlanga). I think he's good for the game. We need characters like this.'
Barker replied: 'Of all the people to target!'
And true enough, virtually none of Lee's 38 opponents ever spoke to him the way Berlanga did before the Sheeraz fight, but then Lee himself was never quite so forthright in assessing rivals' frailties as he is in his role as a coach. Berlanga had also nearly fallen foul of the Irishman's coaching expertise previously, having endured a far tougher night than most expected against the Lee-trained Jason Quigley a couple of years prior.
Simply put, the role of a coach is to make an athlete better. Lee brought the maximum out of middleweight world-title challenger Quigley and he has unlocked new gears in all of his charges, most notably Samoan-Kiwi Joseph Parker whom he has guided back from relative obscurity to the top of the queue to challenge undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
He has also recently reignited the career of British Olympic star Ben Whittaker, who turned to Lee after he hit the skids against Liam Cameron last October. Under Lee's tutelage, Whittaker took an immediate rematch against Cameron and blasted the Sheffield man out of there in the second round, once more looking like the star that British boxing hoped he would become.
And while he previously contributed to Tyson Fury's world-title successes over Deontay Wilder — indeed, it may be no coincidence that Fury's best ever performance, in his second bout with the American, came off the back of a full camp with Lee as his co-trainer alongside SugarHill Steward — the Limerick man will get the chance to fledge his first world champion as a solo trainer this autumn.
Following his mostly picturesque performance and contentious disqualification defeat for a punch after the bell in March, Paddy Donovan's rematch with Lewis Crocker looks set to take place at Windsor Park in September. Theirs will be the first all-Irish world-title fight in boxing history.
Andy Lee and Paddy Donovan. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
It was 'The Real Deal' Donovan who first lured his fellow Limerick man Lee back into the gym in 2019 and they will greatly fancy their chances of beating 'The Croc' for the vacant IBF welterweight strap, with Donovan having already ostensibly beaten up the Belfast man in his hometown.
While far from a foregone conclusion, a world-title success for Donovan would position Lee as the frontrunner for Trainer of the Year, a global award for which he was already nominated by Ring Magazine at the end of a stellar 2024.
The generational talents of Oleksandr Usyk could scupper that notion if the Ukrainian faces Lee's heavyweight, Joe Parker, before the end of the year, although Usyk may wait until early 2026 before returning to the ring following his sensational stoppage of Daniel Dubois on Saturday night.
But Lee's 2025, and his coaching career to this point, are worthy of recognition in any case: there are few Irish coaches in any sport thriving to the same extent at an elite international level.
A former student of the great Emanuel Steward and Adam Booth, Lee is well on his way to becoming one of boxing's most celebrated teachers.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kerry ‘needs to sell itself' to Ryder Cup market
Kerry ‘needs to sell itself' to Ryder Cup market

Irish Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

Kerry ‘needs to sell itself' to Ryder Cup market

With individual homeowners in Kerry already advertising accommodation to golf tourists ahead of the event, the call for Kerry County Council (KCC) to start putting Kerry on the map as a destination was made by Fine Gael Councillor Angie Baily at a recent Tralee MD meeting. The view is being spearheaded by Kerry's close proximity to the Adare Manor in County Limerick where the competition between the USA and Europe takes place in September 2027. So far, close to 110,000 people have registered their interest in attending the event. It's estimated the Ryder Cup will result in a €100 million boost to the Irish economy, while government is likely to spend over €60 million as part of preparatory work for the golf classic. Cllr Baily asked KCC for updates on the marketing campaign for the Ryder Cup, and what the expected footfall in Kerry is likely to be. She further asked what plans are in place so Tralee – as the county capital – can effectively capitalise on the event. 'With Kerry, we're pushing well above our weight. I think this is something we can hugely benefit from. But there will be a massive shortfall in accommodation,' she said. 'I just feel we need to start plugging ourselves and selling ourselves to the market of those people who will be coming here and to get a nice slice of the in excess of a quarter of a billion economic boost for Kerry, and the long term benefits for building tourist relations,' Cllr Baily added. KCC said its tourism unit is working with Tourism Ireland's golf division to ensure Kerry is well positioned as a premier golf and holiday destination, particularly in the US, UK, and European markets. The council's tourism unit confirmed advertising within the Spirit of Ireland – a North American travel magazine with a distribution of 100,000 and 2,500 tour operators. Its autumn 2025 edition will feature a dedicated focus on golf, helping to raise awareness of Kerry's world-class courses and associated offerings. 'Discussions are ongoing with local groups including Kerry Tourism Industry Federation, the Irish Hotels Federation, and Fáilte Ireland to ensure the county is well prepared to maximise opportunities arising from the Ryder Cup,' said KCC management. 'This collaboration aims to ensure that tourism providers across Kerry are ready to welcome and accommodate the increased demand and will include discussion with Tralee Chamber Alliance.' The Ryder Cup is one of the sport's premier competitions that has not taken place in Ireland since 2006.

Lions call on former captain Martin Johnson for second Test inspiration
Lions call on former captain Martin Johnson for second Test inspiration

RTÉ News​

timean hour ago

  • RTÉ News​

Lions call on former captain Martin Johnson for second Test inspiration

If anyone can give this British and Irish Lions squad a sense of what to expect on Saturday, it's Martin Johnson. The former England head coach and captain was skipper when the Lions came to Melbourne in 2001 off the back of an impressive first Test win, only for the Wallabies to emphatically level the series. Four years earlier, Johnson was also captain of the great 1997 side, who clinched the series with a game to spare against the Springboks at Kings Park in Durban. And as the Lions look to make their own piece of history at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow, it was appropriate for the former captain to come in and pass on some words of wisdom. Johnson presented the squad with their jerseys ahead of Saturday's MCG Test, and spoke to the squad about what to expect, as someone who has been through both the highs and lows of Lions' tours. "The room was completely quiet for the whole time he was there and spoke. There were guys just staring up at him," scrum coach John Fogarty (below) said of Johnson's presentation. "He talked a bit about the Lions series they won [1997] and the Lions series they lost [2001] and the difference in either. "He spoke about how in the biggest games the fundamentals are incredibly important. There's going to be errors but not compounding errors on errors is a huge part of winning big games. It was really cool. "Maro [Itoje] asked him a question or two and then he handed out the jerseys. It has been such a privilege this whole journey to have someone like him come in and talk to the lads was another privilege. It's cool. Some of the current squad Henry Pollock, Fin Smith and Jamie Osborne weren't even born when Johnson captained the Lions on that 2001 tour, while many others were yet to even be walking or talking 24 years ago. However, Fogarty said the significance of having Johnson in camp wasn't lost on the younger crop. "They knew who he was for sure. "There was a bit of contemplation and reflection after he talked, which is a good thing. It is what you want. You don't just want to turn around and get your dinner. "There was a bit of thinking and there were conversations, but it was a quiet room because they wanted to listen to a guy they see as an icon. It was pretty cool. "He said it is the smallest of margins in the biggest of games [that matter]. "The error bit, what he is talking about there is being able to get back to neutral and talking about being in the moment. All that stuff is difficult when you're playing in front of 95,000 people in a stadium as iconic as this." While Johnson's game for the Lions in Melbourne in 2001, and the 2013 Melbourne Test, were both across town at the Docklands – now Marvel – Stadium, tomorrow's game will be played in a much grander setting, where an estimated 90,000 supporters will be packed into the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. The MCG was looking spectacular on Friday afternoon as Fogarty spoke to the media pitchside, less than 24 hours after an AFL game on the same pitch between Hawthorn and Carlton. And the Lions assistant was blown away by the size and history of the venue. "What a stage, what a game it's going to be. "I have never watched cricket, never seen the game, we didn't play it when we were kids so I hadn't got a clue [about the MCG]. "Andy [Farrell] has been telling us: 'Wait until you see this'. When he got back from doing a recce he was 'Oh my God, this stadium, that stadium' but nothing landed until we walked out. "My brother Denis is over and he came to the game last night and was telling me it was going to be some stadium to play in, it is an amazing place. "I remember the first time I walked out to Croke Park when I was a kid and I was 'Oh God, look at this' so when we walked out you could see a lot of us looking around and going 'Jesus, this is bigger than anything we have been in before'. "Certainly for me it is bigger than anything I have been in before, it is an unbelievable privilege to be here, I know have said it a couple of times but I mean it. I feel unbelievably lucky, and the players are the same, to be able to do this stuff. It is not normal." There may be temptation to approach the game from a cold perspective, but Fogarty wants the players to embrace the occasion of playing a Lions Test in one of the world's most famous sporting venues. "You've got to lean in a little bit, don't you? "The boys are going to be building to 8pm, so we need to simmer away tomorrow so that we're at the right level when we arrive here and then we can hit the ground running and do things properly. "We're expecting an absolute battle, a war. But when you come here it makes it a bit more special because you understand what it's going to be like a little bit. "All the little things will matter tomorrow." Meanwhile, the Lions have confirmed that Ewan Ashman, Gregor Brown, Rory Sutherland and Darcy Graham have returned home after they were drafted in on a temporary basis to help with Tuesday's fixture against the First Nations and Pasifika XV. Irish pair Thomas Clarkson and Jamie Osborne remain with the squad.

‘Playing with the Lions is like the Olympics' – Nick Popplewell on being part of last amateur touring side
‘Playing with the Lions is like the Olympics' – Nick Popplewell on being part of last amateur touring side

Irish Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

‘Playing with the Lions is like the Olympics' – Nick Popplewell on being part of last amateur touring side

The former Irish International, who toured New Zealand with the Lions in 1993, says only the test matches matter Proud Wexford man Nick Popplewell, has been in the property industry with Sherry Fitzgerald Radford for the best part of a quarter of a century. Before that he was one of Ireland's greatest amateur athletes. In 1993 he was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand, where he played in all three test matches. That year, the Lions lost the series 2-1, but Nick became the only Irishman to play on a victorious team against New Zealand since 1978, a record he held until 2016, when Ireland finally did beat New Zealand in Chicago.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store