An opening press conference was held today to officially announce and formalize the details for the middleweight clash between WBO titlist Andy Lee and undefeated challenger Billy Joe Saunders. Lee vs. Saunders will take place on Saturday, September 19th in Ireland, and tickets are now on sale.
Lee and Saunders will collide in a huge clash for that side of the pond, at the spectacular outdoor stadium Thomond Park, the home of Munster Rugby, in the highly anticipated showdown.
All-action Lee became world champion with a dramatic sixth round stoppage of Matt Korobov last December and followed that up with a thrilling performance against Peter Quillin in April to cement his reputation as a true warrior in the 160lb division.
Hard-hitting Saunders, the mandatory and WBO number one ranked challenger, is unbeaten in 21 fights with 11 KO’s and is coming into the fight against Lee with the his biggest career win over rival Chris Eubank Jnr.
Lee said:
“I’ve dreamed of fighting here. As soon as I won the world title I wanted to defend it here. This is a global event and i’m proud to put Limerick on that stage and to bring an event like this to my city is an honour and goes some way to repay the people who have supported me.
“I’m fighting one of the best middleweights in the world, he’s the British, Commonwealth and European Champion, he’s undefeated, he’s waited his time, and he will come in with a spirited challenge, but I’ve got to hold on to my belt.
“I’m looking forward to putting on a great show at Thomond park. I take my hat of to Saunders for coming to Ireland, my home, as I know what it’s like to fight away from home for years and this is going to be very special night for me.
“I respect him, he’s an undefeated Olympian, this is going to be a hard, hard, fight and he’s going to take a lot of beating. His strongest strength is his will and how much he wants to win a fight. This isn’t a hand picked fighter, he’s mandated, it’s a real fight.”
Saunders said:
“It’s a dream come true to fight at a stadium like this. Andy’s the champion and he deserves a homecoming after fighting away from home and winning the world title. A lot of fights need building up with trash talk but we don’t need that here.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Andy’s who’s a great champion. You’ve got two proud men representing their countries and the fans are going to win on the night. I guarantee that Andy and me are going to leave nothing out and put it all in the ring.
“I’m in his backyard and he’s got the home support, but when I pulled up to the stadium, I got a homely feeling straight away. I’ve boxed in Ireland seven times now with seven wins and I aim to keep it going. It’s going to take a lot to take the belt but I’m going to give it my all. Andy’s the same as me and in the end it’s going to come down to heart, determination and grit.”
A full undercard will be announced shortly. Tickets for the ‘The Showdown At Thomond Park’ are available at prices from £20.70 to £344.85 from www.eventim.co.uk and €30 to €500 from Ticketmaster Ireland www.ticketmaster.ie/showdown.
