When Andy Lee thinks of his boxing idols, Sugar Ray Robinson figures near the top of the list.
The US fighter was involved in five grueling bouts against Jake LaMotta, the fighter portrayed by Robert de Niro in Raging Bull and who passed away recently at the age of 95.
Lee never met LaMotta directly but was the subject of a resounding quip from The Raging Bull who was ringside for one of his own fights in Madison Square Gardens, New York against Carl Daniels.
You can listen to the full chat on the podcast player below or stream on iTunes:
"It's one of my claims to fame. When I fought in the Garden in 2007 against Carl Daniels, he was ringside," said Lee.
"I wasn't aware but I knocked Carl Daniels out with a great punch and the headline attributes - somebody asked him or maybe it was a bit of creative writing - but he said, 'When Andy Lee landed that punch, the lights went out on Broadway'. That's going to be on my headstone. I'll take that one with me."
Ryan Burnett and Zhanat Zhakiyanov ©INPHO/Presseye/Jonathan Porter
The former WBO World Middleweight champion also gave us a fascinating insight into Belfast rising star and IBF bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett's skills and mentality as he prepares for a unification bout against WBA bantamweight title holder Zhanat Zhakiyanov.
Lee also didn't play down the scale or significance of the fight which takes place this Saturday in Belfast.
"It's arguably the biggest fight to happen on Irish soil...a unification fight has never happened on these shores," he said.
"So if he does it, it's huge. It would be a huge victory."
Also on the menu with Lee was Anthony Joshua's change of opponent from Kubrat Pulev who had to pull out to Cameroon's Carlos Takam, with Katie Taylor's fight next fight on that undercard, while he also spoke of an intriguing story of a Wexford boxer who is making waves.
