Lee falls to Chavez Jnr

Ireland's Andy Lee failed in his bid to become a world middleweight champion in El Paso on Saturday night.

The 28-year-old southpaw, who fights out of Emmanuel Steward's Kronk stable in Detroit, was stopped in seven rounds by WBC beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.

The Mexican champion, son of the legendary three weight champion, was hampered with leg cramps throughout the action but still proved too much for Lee.

Both combatants landed some heavy leather in the fourth round, but Chavez took charge in the fifth when he hurt Lee with a succession of blows to the torso.

Lee attempted to battle back in the seventh but more unanswered shots brought about the intervention of referee Laurence Cole.

"I would have knocked him out earlier if it wasn't for my legs," said Chavez.

"From the first round my legs were bothering me. It was cramps. That's why I was standing up so straight. But I got the victory."

Lee said: "My punches had no effect on him. He just walked through them. No excuses. He's a good fighter."