Andrew Carey
andrew@limerickpost.ie
WBO World Middleweight Boxing Champion, Limerick’s Andy Lee has been honoured at a Civic Reception held to acknowledge his success at winning the vacant World boxing title last weekend in Las Vegas.
The Limerick boxer who has now made his fame on the world boxing stage was also told that “Limerick will not be told no to hosting his mandatory defence of the world title next year”, as councillors pleaded with Lee’s trainer Adam Booth to consider hosting the title fight in Limerick.
At a Civic Reception held at City Hall this Wednesday, the newly crowned world champion received a standing ovation as he was presented with a scroll honouring his achievements in boxing.
During the reception at a packed City Hall, Andy was told by Mayor of Limerick City and County Kevin Sheahan, that the boxer’s “hometown would not be found wanting in hosting any title fight”.
Throughout a number of addresses made by Limerick City and County councillors, Andy was described as one of “Limerick’s finest sons who claimed a world title that the people of Castleconnell, Limerick and Ireland will celebrate as another milestone moment in Irish sport.”
The achievement of being the first Irish man to win a world boxing title in America since the 1930s was herald as a testimant to Andy’s “skill, ability and temperament”.
Special mention, prayers and thoughts were also given to Andy’s former trainer and mentor, Emanuel Steward who invested time, energy, finance and faith in the Castleconnell southpaw.
The whole experience, Andy said, would be something he “will never forget as long as I live”.
Lee also had words of encourgaement to the younger generation of Limerick fighters and indeed those from his former club St Francis Boxing Club, in that “anyone can from Limerick can go on in boxing, or in any sport, to the top and become a world champion just like me”.
The middleweight world champion also urged local authorities to believe in the next generation and support them financially “as Limerick could have many more world champions to come”.
Despite the poor weather conditions, crowds gathered outside the steps of City Hall to hail their boxing hero and fulfill another aspect of his boyhood dream of standing before the people of Limerick, “literally on top of the world as champion”.
