Will Lee Keep Saunders Waiting?

Something has got to be done to stop this practise!

I?m talking about this growing practise whereby mandatory challengers are forced to wait their chance whilst reigning champions get exceptions from the governing authorities to take fights they fancy a bit more.

The latest fighter who could well be forced to step aside and wait just that bit longer than he should do is the middleweight Billy Joe Saunders.

After beating Chris Eubank Junior, Saunders was installed as the WBO mandatory challenger, a tile held by the Irish fighter Andy Lee.

However, the grapevine I snow suggesting that Lee is looking to take on, in the USA, Peter Quillen a fighter who has a record that reads 31-0 with 22 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

Now naturally, Quillen is a big draw in the US and if Lee can get an exception then he will earn, quite probably, a huge purse.

But, to me, it?s bending the rules and shouldn?t be allowed to happen. Lee should be getting in the ring with Saunders next and nobody else.