World champion Andy Lee opens up about his motivation to box in this fantastic behind-the-scenes look at his preparations.
The Limerick man will defend his WBO World Middleweight crown against Billy Joe Saunders in Thomond Park next month, in what is set to be an epic night of boxing.
If the idea of the hometown hero defending his title in front of a partisan crowd at the home of Munster Rugby wasn’t enough to get you fired up, his monologue in this fantastic clip from Luke Reardon should do the trick.
“For two men to say, ‘let’s sign a contract and in six weeks we’re going to fight in a certain venue,’ it’s an unnatural thing because there’s not that emotion,” Lee says. “There’s not that instant there, you know? There’s nothing personal there.”
But as Lee makes plain there are still plenty of reasons to get fired up.
“In saying that, there is an anticipation because you know the date’s there, and you’ve built towards it,” he explains.
“The adrenaline comes because you know you’re getting closer to this one moment that you’ve been waiting for for months, and usually there’s a lot on the line.
“Not just your health, but money and prestige.”
Lee is aware of how high the stakes are for each fight.
“A fight is something that’s going to happen- it’s going to take place,” he says. “And it’s going to exist for the rest of your life.
“It’s going to be played and replayed, and it’s going to be on the internet, it’s going to be on video. It’s only ever going to happen once but you’re going to have to re-live it a million times.”
Five weeks to go – we cannot wait.
H/T: balls.ie