ANDY LEE HAS vowed to honour the memory of legendary boxing trainer Emanuel Steward in the best way he can — by winning a world title.

The life and work of Steward, who trained some of the sport’s most famous world champions including Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, was remembered at an emotional service in Detroit yesterday.

Steward, who trained Limerick middleweight Lee at his famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, died of colon cancer last month. He was 68.

“I’ll always be grateful to Emanuel,” Lee said at yesterday’s star-studded service. ”He let me live in his house and let me live a dream.

Emanuel was a class act … and he’ll always be in my heart.

Under Steward’s watchful eye, 28-year-old Lee rose through the ranks and finally earned a shot at world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June.

Chavez retained his WBC belt with a seventh-round stoppage but since Steward’s death, the Irishman is even more determined to get the world title his coach and friend never saw him win.

“I will be a champion for him,” Lee told Mike Brudnell of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m going to honour him by becoming champion of the world.

Emanuel knew me better than anyone. We’d talk about life, not just boxing. He deserved to be honored like he was today. He deserves for me to go on and win the world title.

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