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by T.K. Stewart - A couple of years ago, Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward was telling anybody with ears that his latest protege, Irish middleweight Andy Lee, was soon to be the future of the 160-pound division.
Steward claimed that Lee had unlimited potential and that his punching power was crippling. He even went so far as to make the incredulous statement after Lee's 15th professional fight that, "He would beat Winky Wright and I'd match him with Winky right now."
But a peculiar thing happened on the road to Steward's predictions of superstardom. Lee was brutally dispatched in the seventh round of a colossal upset loss to the unsung Brian Vera.
To be fair, Lee entered the ring that night at the Mohegan Sun under the influence of the flu virus or some other malaise. But that was of little consolation to Steward, who seemed embarrassed by the slow meltdown of his charge. It didn’t help that the fight also happened to be beamed live by ESPN2 to a surprised television viewing audience [details]
Steward claimed that Lee had unlimited potential and that his punching power was crippling. He even went so far as to make the incredulous statement after Lee's 15th professional fight that, "He would beat Winky Wright and I'd match him with Winky right now."
But a peculiar thing happened on the road to Steward's predictions of superstardom. Lee was brutally dispatched in the seventh round of a colossal upset loss to the unsung Brian Vera.
To be fair, Lee entered the ring that night at the Mohegan Sun under the influence of the flu virus or some other malaise. But that was of little consolation to Steward, who seemed embarrassed by the slow meltdown of his charge. It didn’t help that the fight also happened to be beamed live by ESPN2 to a surprised television viewing audience [details]
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