{"id":57191,"date":"2015-12-20T00:38:34","date_gmt":"2015-12-20T05:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=57191"},"modified":"2015-12-20T00:44:47","modified_gmt":"2015-12-20T05:44:47","slug":"billy-joe-saunders-stuns-fans-after-defeating-andy-lee-for-wbo-middleweight-title-breaking-boxing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=57191","title":{"rendered":"Billy Joe Saunders STUNS Fans After Defeating Andy Lee for WBO Middleweight Title – Breaking Boxing News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BJS\"<\/a>Billy Joe Saunders dethroned WBO Middleweight World Champion Andy Lee with a 12-round majority decision Saturday on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL from Manchester, England.<\/p>\n

The fight, which was scored 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113, will re-air tonight at 9 p.m. ET\/PT on SHO EXTREME.<\/p>\n

In a matchup of tactical southpaws, an explosive third round from Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) was the difference. The British challenger floored Lee twice \u2013 first with a big right hook and again with a counter right just 30 seconds later \u2013 and a dazed Lee somehow survived the 10-7 round. <\/p>\n

The Irish Lee (34-3-1, 24 KOs) fought his way back and was the more aggressive fighter in the championship rounds, but it wasn\u2019t enough to make up for a slow start and the two knockdowns.<\/p>\n

With the win, Saunders became the 12th current British world champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m world champion,\u201d Saunders said. \u201cI beat a good champion today, a good sturdy champion. I used his power against him. When I was boxing he got a little bit careless and dropped his lead hand and I caught him with the hook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to start running my mouth, but it was a good shot. With someone as fast as me you have to keep your hands up. I\u2019m not the biggest puncher in the world, but I showed you there that I can punch.\u201d<\/p>\n

WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel Jacobs, fresh off a first round knockout of Peter Quillin two weeks ago on SHOWTIME, was a guest analyst on Saturday from New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was going to be a big brawler, I thought he had better assets,\u201d Jacobs said of Lee. \u201cHe didn\u2019t do enough for me. He was too complacent and after the knockdown you didn\u2019t see that sense of urgency that a fighter has to have on the comeback trail.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll credit due to Billy Joe, but it wasn\u2019t an impressive victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

After watching the fight, Jacobs wasn\u2019t ready to commit to a unification showdown in 2016 with the winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do whatever makes sense,\u201d Jacobs said. \u201cI think it\u2019s time to sit-down and figure what makes sense. Obviously it\u2019s a good time to be a middleweight champion.\u201d<\/p>\n