TSHIAB YORK (Dec. 19, 2015) – Billy Joe Saunders dethroned WBO Middleweight World Champion Andy Lee with a 12-round majority decision Saturday on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL los ntawm Manchester, Hais.
Lub sib ntaus, uas twb tua nkag 115-111, 114-112 thiab 113-113, will re-air tonight at 9 p.m. THIAB/PT rau Sho huab.
In a matchup of tactical southpaws, an explosive third round from Saunders (23-0, 12 Kos) was the difference. The British challenger floored Lee twice – first with a big right hook and again with a counter right just 30 seconds later – and a dazed Lee somehow survived the 10-7 puag ncig. VIDEO NQE: http://s.sho.com/1OfibYe
The Irish Lee (34-3-1, 24 Kos) fought his way back and was the more aggressive fighter in the championship rounds, but it wasn’t enough to make up for a slow start and the two knockdowns.
Nrog lub yeej, Saunders became the 12th current British world champion.
“I’m world champion,” Saunders said. “I beat a good champion today, a good sturdy champion. I used his power against him. When I was boxing he got a little bit careless and dropped his lead hand and I caught him with the hook.
“I’m not going to start running my mouth, but it was a good shot. With someone as fast as me you have to keep your hands up. I’m not the biggest puncher in the world, but I showed you there that I can punch.”
WBA Middleweight ntiaj teb tau zus Daniel Jacobs, fresh off a first round knockout of Peter Quillin two weeks ago on SHOWTIME, was a guest analyst nyob rau hnub Saturday from New York.
“I thought he was going to be a big brawler, I thought he had better assets,” Jacobs said of Lee. “He didn’t do enough for me. Nws yog ib sab heev thiab tom qab knockdown koj tsis pom qhov kev nkag siab sai tias tus neeg sib ntaus sib tua tau los ntawm txoj kev rov qab los.
"Txhua daim credit vim Billy Joe, Tab sis nws tsis yog ib qho zoo nkauj yeej. "
Tom qab saib kev sib ntaus, Jacobs tsis tau npaj siab yuav ua txhaum kev sib koom ua ke hauv 2016 nrog tus yeej.
"Peb yuav ua txhua yam ua rau muaj kev nkag siab,"Jacobs tau hais. "Kuv xav tias nws yog lub sijhawm los zaum-down thiab daim duab dab tsi ua rau kev txiav txim siab. Qhov tseeb tiag nws yog lub sijhawm zoo los ua tus sib tw tsis sib tw. "