Andy Lee vs. Alex Bunema, Wednesday 5/18

This is easily as good as many of the cards that ESPN2 has picked up on "special occasions" on Wednesday nights since the cancellation of WNF as a series. Hell, it would be an acceptable FNF main event.

For some reason it's getting no coverage (not even on GFL or any of the other paid-subscription boxing broadcast websites). :huh

That seems kind of strange. Andy Lee is coming off a FOTY candidate against Craig McEwan and is taking on a fairly respectable opponent in Bunema in a 10-rounder. If it weren't for the long layoff, I'd actually say Bunema is a more or less lateral move from McEwan. Unless you're in Rosemont, Illinois as a ticketed audience member, though - you won't get to see this.

Anyway, how do you see it panning out? Could Bunema spring an upset like Vera (and in the process, spoil the planned rematch party), or has Lee yet come far enough under Emanuel Steward to guarantee victory here with so much as a halfway decent effort?

 

A couple of quick notes:

Bunema is 5'9". This will be the sixth time in eight bouts that Lee enjoys a height advantage of at least five inches. (having dwarfed Schuler, Belghecham, Thiam, Walker and Lowry)

Oddly enough, this bout is listed as being for the NABF middleweight title although Fernando Guerrero just defended it in February, never vacated to my knowledge, and is scheduled to defend it again next month. :? WTF is up with that?

The warrior from Zaire has been "knocked out" during the action only twice in 40 trips to the ring - the last time coming over seven years ago after taking two knees under heavy fire from Jermain Taylor (but hardly knocked out cold) - and has only ever been knocked out cold once, over thirteen years ago. Interesting test for the vaunted power puncher Andy Lee.

 

Ah, cool. :good

Don't know that I'll necessarily be ordering it, but good to know it's an option.

 

Yeah, if the undercard wasn't so skimpy it would be a nice midweek treat. At that price it might be a bit of a ripoff if the main event turns out to be a one-minute blowout... :think

 

Bunema is a decent fighter. If Bryan Vera can pull the upset (and Craig McEwan can come damn close)...Bunema at his best is close to that same level. The question is just how close to his best he'll be with so much rust..

Plus, there's always this factor:

:yep

It's actually pretty surprising to me that so many are picking Lee by stoppage...especially given the info above (two of Bunema's stoppage losses were retirements; one by the corner and one by the ringside physician...a third one was basically just a referee stoppage as Taylor was whipping him, and only one was a real KO, back in the Clinton administration).

 

Yeah...I noticed he was on the fight poster on the NESportsTV website as sharing top billing with Lee, which was surprising. :think

What's he like?