By Terence Dooley

Adam Booth, Andy Lee’s trainer, has told The Sun that he predicted Peter Quillin’s failure to make the 160lb weight limit for Saturday’s WBO world title challenge.  Booth believes that the Premier Boxing Champions format is seeking to do away with traditional titles and that Quillin’s failure to make weight is indicative of this philosophy.

“I saw some footage of him three or four weeks ago and he looked huge,” stated Booth.  “Also over here with Premier Boxing Champions, they're trying to build a UFC type of brand on NBC and I don't think they care about the WBO title.  Either he was too heavy or he didn't care about the title, I just had this feeling that he wasn't going to make the weight.”

Booth also revealed that Lee, who still holds the WBO belt, showed remarkable recovery skills to bounce back from two knockdowns to secure what seemed an unlikely draw after a poor start.  Lee, 34-2-1 (24), was floored twice in round one—the second didn't count as the referee indicated that the punch landed after the bell to end the round—and found himself on the deck again in round three, although he appeared off-balance when the blow landed.

The Irishman roared back, flooring Quillin, 31-0-1 (22), with a right hook in the seventh before carrying enough of the late rounds to carve out a split draw.

“I have never worked with a fighter who can come back from being so heavily knocked down—not once, but twice [in round one, the second knockdown was adjudged to have come after the bell so didn’t stand],” remarked Booth.  “The one in the third wasn't a knockdown.  If that hadn't been scored a knockdown, Andy wins by a unanimous decision.  If the title was lost, I'd scream blue murder.”

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