Peter Quillin vs Andy Lee was a bout that cared little for the pre-fight script. Acting as chief support on the Garcia vs Peterson card, Quillin vs Lee was highly competitive throughout, with both fighters landing heavy blows, three knockdowns between them, and earning each other’s respect at the final bell.
Chess matches in boxing aren’t often described as intriguing, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Call it economical punching – but every shot thrown with seriously bad intentions. So hard to split were both combatants, that a Split Draw was turned in via scores of 112-113, 113-113, 113-112. BoxingBase.com had no real qualms, but scored the contest 113-112, Quillin.
Quillin now stands at 31 wins, no losses, 1 draw, with 22 knockouts, and Lee at 34 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, with 24 knockouts. Lee’s WBO Middleweight title was of course not on the line due to Quillin failing to make weight – a faux-pas that cost the ex-champion $125,000. Ouch, indeed…
Quillin vs Lee: The Fight
In just round 1 the drama unfolded. After much hesitancy between both men, Quillin launched a missile straight-right that dropped his foe. Lee got to his feet, perhaps a little too early, and was on shaky legs. With his man hurt, Quillin threw with fury in the final seconds of the round, dropping Lee right on the bell. No count was given, of course.
But Lee was in serious trouble. First title defense – well, what would have been – and now dropped in the very first round. And not only that, it was one shot; one crunching shot from a very accurate opponent.
Lee was of course cagey in the next round, coming off second when he entered into exchanges with Quillin, a very smooth operator. Lee then suffered another knockdown in the 3rd – though it was unclear if Quillin (a southpaw) had stepped on his foot prior to the punch landing. But it mattered little after the count was given.
Quillin was storming ahead on the scorecards, but began to soon respect his challenger when Lee got off the deck to land some heavy shots of his own. The 4th saw more caginess from both fighters and therefore ended in close fashion.
The action then climbed another gear in the 5th. Quillin showcased his one-punch power again, rocking Lee with a looping left-hook. Both fighters then entered a vicious exchange that once more favored Quillin.
Many observers wouldn’t be blamed for anticipating a shutout win or knockout looming for Quillin. But no, Lee thrust himself right back into the fight following a quiet 6th by dropping Quillin with a solid, whipping right-hand in the 7th. His felled opponent beat the count and survived the final seconds thanks to his elusive skills.
Lee was now creeping back on the scorecards and continued strongly, bagging rounds until Quillin came into the 10th with greater urgency. For the first time Quillin was throwing combinations – bad news for Lee, who was caught with some big blows here. The Irishman outworked Quillin in the 11th, which was finally followed by a 12th that was hard to call.
Now in wait of the verdict, the outcome seemed incredibly hard to determine, arguably belonging no more so to one fighter than the other. They had each others’ number, it seemed. And so followed the official Split Draw verdict. Perhaps Quillin did win that extra round – at least on BoxingBase.com’s scorecard – but this was an incredibly close fight. (Quillin vs Lee Fight Highlights)
Quillin vs Lee: Burning Questions
So what’s next for both boxers? Quillin vs Lee II? If so, how would the outcome of a rematch differ?
And there’s more to mull over…
Did Quillin’s alleged weight advantage add or detract from his performance? Were we seeing a more powerful Quillin? Or one who struggled down the stretch due to clocking up 11 months of ring inactivity (since defeating Lukas Konecny in April 2014)? And what of Lee? Was this the standout performance of his career?
And finally the big question: given the single-shot power of this pair, would either be capable of denting the armor of Middleweight supreme Gennady Golovkin (who recently took apart Martin Murray)?
Let us know in the comments!
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