Boxing: Andy Lee's trainer Emmanuel Steward has revealed a middleweight match-up against Derryman John Duddy in New York has fallen by the wayside after HBO declined the opportunity to broadcast the all-Irish bout.
Steward claimed the fight was a possibility but with Duddy's career on a downward curve after a disappointing split decision defeat to Billy Lyell in April this year, HBO weren't interested.
"We were trying to have a fight between Andy Lee and John Duddy, which would do very well in New York, where we were going to have it at," Steward told On the Ropes radio.
"But HBO said that they weren't interested, not so much of because of Andy because since his loss to (Brian) Vera, Lee has knocked out Willie Gibbs in the 10th round and has had about three other good wins, but because of Duddy's last performance (against Lyell).”
Not long ago, former Olympian Lee and Duddy were two of Ireland's brightest hopes, with the latter drawing big crowds in the US with his no-nonsense approach and Lee’s more pleasing on the eye but similarly effective style.
Prior to his first career defeat against Lyell, however, Duddy looked to have stagnated badly, while Lee's first defeat came against Brian Vera in March last year.
Vera immediately "turned down a rematch" worth $250,000, according to Steward.
Without impressing too much, Lee got back on track with three wins, two of which went the distance, while the first was a final round stoppage of Willie Gibbs in Limerick.
The criticism that his progress hasn't lived up to Steward's own billing is still whispered however, but the trainer insists that is down to the lack of quality in the middleweight division.
"In Andy's last two fights he's had eye problems. His cuts have reopened so we've had to back off a lot and get surgery," said the Detroit-based trainer. "If you really look at the middleweight division and think of marquee names, after Kelly Pavlik you're almost dead.
"The biggest names are probably Duddy and Andy Lee. It's a no name division."
It's a situation that could, however, lead Lee into a title fight sooner rather than later.
"There's not that much out there but hopefully if he (Lee) wins two or three more fights he'll probably be fighting for a title soon."
