In what many would say is a huge upset, Brian Vera TKOd Andy Lee in the 7th round of their fight on Friday night. Lee, who is trained and managed by Hall of Famer Emmanuel Steward, just did not seem to have it going on in the fight. All of the things he was supposed to have such as a strong right jab, good movement, good defensive skills, and great combinations were all a no-show in the fight. Lee knocked Vera down in the first round and it seemed like it would be a short night of work for Lee. Then as the fight went on, Vera was landing his rights hand more and more consistently. Vera, best known from Season 3 of the Contender, is a tough fighter who can take some punishment. I doubt if he will ever be a World Champion but showed a lot of heart in beating Lee. Steward who takes a personal relationship with many of his fighters such as Thomas Hearns, Wladimir Klitschko, and Lennox Lewis to name a few is probably very devastated at this moment. When the fight was stopped, slightly premature as Lee was throwing a punch at the time of the stoppage, Steward did not argue. Lee had been hit with many clean shots and even cut over his right eye. He looked to be a beaten fighter; bleeding, breathing hard, tired, and just plain defeated. So yes Andy Lee was not really to fight for the Middleweight Championship as Steward had proclaimed. However Lee is young and still has a lot to learn. He should take this fight and watch it several times and critique his mistakes. Maybe it was the bright lights on US television that got to Lee, you never know. What we do know is, he needs to go back to the drawing board and make the changes necessary to win. He can still be a champion, just not as quick as many had hoped.
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