Andy Lee may be getting closer to a June 16 showdown with World Boxing Council champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., but it's not a done deal yet, the Limerick southpaw's trainer- manager said.
"We haven't signed any contracts yet [and] we haven't been presented with any terms," Emanuel Steward told the Echo on Sunday. "But it looks like it will happen."
What has happened so far, according to media reports in the last week, is an agreement between promoters Bob Arum, who handles the undefeated Chavez, and Lou DiBella, Lee's impresario, to match their fighters June 16 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, with the WBC belt on the line.
In addition, the two promoters are working on a scenario where the Lee-Chavez winner gets a guaranteed fall shot - probably Sept. 15, ESPN boxing expert Dan Rafael reports - against lineal world champion Sergio Martinez.
USA Today quoted DiBella, who also promotes Martinez and announced the Lee-Chavez matchup last Tuesday on Twitter, as saying: "I want to make sure we get everything solidified so that Sergio gets his big shot at the winner."
DiBella said he was only waiting for the paperwork for Martinez vs. the Lee-Chavez winner to be done.
"It's not often the fans win," DiBella said. "Often, our biggest fights aren't made."
Sizing up the once-beaten Lee [28-1, 20 KOs] and the undefeated Chavez [45-0-1, 31 KOs], DiBella told USA Today:
"I think it's a great fight. They're both young guys, Andy is more skilled, Chavez is bigger. Chavez has the home-field advantage of fighting in El Paso, tantamount to fighting in front of an all Mexican/Mexican-American audience."
But he predicted a win by Lee who's ranked third by the WBC and number two by both the WBA and WBO.
"I think Andy matches up very well with Chavez. I think he's going to beat Chavez," DiBella said, adding: "I give Andy a great shot; I think he's the better boxer and the more polished boxer. Not taking anything away from Chavez. He's much improved. And he's huge. Obviously he's very strong, that's his advantage."
The Detroit-based Steward, however, noted that there're still a lot of things that need to be done before Lee-Chavez is signed and sealed.
BROKEN GUNN
Irish-Canadian Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn lost via fifth round TKO to veteran James Toney in their IBU heavyweight title match at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., last Saturday.
Gunn, who's 38, failed to come out for the sixth stanza because of a broken hand suffered in round four. His record dropped to 21-4-1, 18 KOs. The 43 year-old Toney improved to 73-7-3, 44 KOs.
ROONEY REMATCH
Kevin Rooney, Jr., DiBella Entertainment's "Fighting Publicist" will get a chance to atone for the only defeat on his 4-1 ledger when he meets Danny Lugo again, May 18 on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" at the Times Union Center in Albany.
Rooney, who's 27 and the son of the former Mike Tyson trainer, lost a close but unanimous four-round points decision to the 34 year-old Lugo on the Lee-Bryan Vera rematch in Atlantic City last October.
Rooney has since won two fights in a row, including an impressive first round TKO of super middleweight Anthony Shuff at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day. Lugo, meanwhile, went on to lose two straight after beating Rooney and will be fighting for the first time this year.
