Comments Thread For: Felix Sturm-Andy Lee in Play, Lee Pulled From MSG Bill

[richardt]

And besides that, I already heard DIRECTLY from Quillin....it wasn't about the money, Andy Lee just did not want to fight him. Lee's excuse of "Unavailability of a suitable opponent" is PURE 100% ***ing unadultrated BULL****!

[HeroBando]

HBO/Showtime does overseas broadcasts but Sturm is only a star in Germany. And Lee just lost a bunch of fans backing out of the Showtime card. If a boxer is not on HBO/Showtime or a PPV, he is not a star. Bottom line. Losing fans and exposure is not good. Maklin got main event because of one name...Martinez. No way would anyone put him on Showtime against anyone but a star. Showtime didn't chose Maklin, they just accepted him. And Lee just alienated his New York fanbase who already bought tickets. Way to go. Ran from Quillin and Showtime to fight on an obscure channel called Epix for a paper title against a guy who has been seen only once. Way to go.

They cover "event" fights like Wlad Haye (which they maybe regretting) or the Super 6. Even stars like the Klitschkos have few overseas fights on US tv. Early afternoon broadcasts are bad for business.

I see 2 outcomes for Sturm Lee: Lee easy, or Sturm controversial. Somehow I think that Lee's alienated fans and HBO would forgive him in both cases. Anyway, as long as Martinez is tops at 160 and Lee doesn't get embarrassed, he'll have his tv slots (being Irish doesn't hurt one bit). Macklin didn't get lucky, he signed with LDB. Lee is much better known in America, more talented also.

I also think your recap is comical, you don't think Quillin (or anyone sane up and comer) would have done the same thing? That paper title has Sturm ranked no 1 for years, making very decent money with little risk. Again, not to mention the purse difference. If that didn't matter, why was KC complaining about the purse anyway?

[richardt]

"""Even stars like the Klitschkos have few overseas fights on US tv. """ Thats why you don't back out of a Showtime TV date, something Sturm is incapable of getting. Comical? I doubt Lee fans from NY are laughing and I doubt Showtime is laughing and I doubt DiBella is laughing. Lee just ***ed over a lot of people. Many fighters would NOT have done that. Kelly Pavlik learned the hard way. That does NOT open doors, it closes them. Very elementary to understand. Hope it backfires on him more than it already has.

[KingTito]

I would have like Quillin to get his shot at Lee, but this is a good fight also.

[chiguy91]

damn, this is a good fight for lee. hopefully it's not a robbery if it's in germany. lee has the tools to beat him, but it could go either way imo. hopefully it gets made.

[DoktorSleepless]

It's sad that Dibella can get Sturm to fight Eddie Hearn and Andy Lee, but not Martinez. Last year Dibella was talking about having Martinez fight Sturm as the main event in Madison Square Garden with Macklin vs Lee in the undercard.

[ShoulderRoll]

I wanted to see him fight Quillin too.

But this is a good opportunity for him....the fight better get made, it would suck if Andy Lee pulled out of the NYC show only to have Sturm fight someone else.

[_original_]

Hopefully Lee wins and him and Martinez can have a fight in the summer.

[Paddymickey]

Team Lee have made the right move.

First off - Lee chased the only man to defeat him -
Secondly - he is willing to travel to Germany to fight Sturm in his back yard
Third - he has only been calling out Martinez the past year.

If people think he is ducking Quillin WHOT THEY ALREADY OFFERED A FIGHT TO then they need their heads examined. Quillin is a great fighter who I really admire. I think he will get his shot because HBO are backing him. That is not to say Lee is ducking him though - enough of the BS. Lee and Quilling will both do well this year in my opinion. Quillin is calling out Martinez now too. If Lee wins he will offer macklin the first shot but I'm sure Quillin will get an offer down the line too. Enough bs about ducking though.

[trinityboxing]

Spin Doctors

What a crock of ****. Andy Lee pulls out of a fight because he's in talks with someone else he hopes to fight? Are you for real? The press conference was a week ago, why did he even bother going? This is what's killing boxing - fighters acting like business men. Let's face it, he got pulled out of the fight because they don't think he can beat Peter Quillin. What does that say about Andy Lee? When he actually does get around to fighting Quillin, he'll always have in the back of his head his "team" has no faith in him. Boxing is supposed to be about the fans, not the accountants. Too many boxers don't fight to win, they fight not to lose. Boxing has lost its pride.