SEBASTIAN ZBIK COULD strike a knockout blow against Andy Lee — by denying the Limerick southpaw his dream of a world title shot against Felix Sturm in April.
Zbik, a former world middleweight champion, has emerged as a serious contender to face Sturm when he defends his WBA “Super” middleweight belt on 13 April, German boxing website FigoSport reports.
The news will come as a major disappointment to Lee’s camp, who opened negotiations with Sturm after pulling their man from the Sergio Martinez-Matthew Macklin undercard on 17 March in New York.
Zbik was scheduled to fight EBU middleweight champion Grzegorz Proksa on 2 March, but the German is now expected to relinquish his position as mandatory challenger in order to fight for Sturm’s much bigger prize.
“We are planning something differently for Sebastian,” a spokesperson for Universum promotions told BoxingScene.com. “Definitely a world championship but that is all I can say at the moment”.
If Zbik and Sturm agree terms, Lee faces being left out in the cold. Promoter Lou DiBella promised earlier this year that the 27-year-old would get a title shot in 2012, and IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale is already being mooted as a possible opponent if talks with Sturm fall through.
“There’s been a lot of talk, but I don’t know,” Lee said when asked by eastsideboxing.com’s On The Ropes about the possibility of fighting Sturm.
If the offer was right I would definitely be willing to go over there… I don’t see much danger in Sturm. He has a good style. He’s a very effective boxer, but I believe I can knock Sturm out.
Rolls Royce of a player Carrick. Won every honour a footballer can.
@Brian Dunne: Uh, he didn’t win a World Cup.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: as a club player. Playing in England and Europe before you say he hasn’t won la liga
@Brian Dunne: In your original comment, you didn’t specify club football, you just said ‘every honour’.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: Well now we have it all cleared up. Cheers!
@Brian Dunne: Thanks for clearing that up Brian. Conor really threw a spanner in the works there. Ruined my Sunday to be honest.
A whopping 1-0 win against the mighty Watford
@Running Down The Wing: Finish 2nd and the goalie gets player of the year says it all!
@DL_8_5: I suppose it’s laughable really since the goalkeeper was actually the best player of the season… imagine, the goalkeeper the best player of the whole season. Madness.
@An Observer2: think it’s more laughable that the guy with the golden boot , PFA awards etc only finishes fourth and by the skin of their teeth