Irish boxer Andy Lee wins in Limerick after Thiam retires with back injury after two rounds

Irish middleweight Andy Lee beat Mamadou Thiam at the University Arena in Limerick on Saturday night when the French fighter retired at the end of the second round due to a back injury.

Lee looked sharp in the six minutes of action, but Thiam injured himself in the first minute of the fight after he tripped into the ring post.

The 38-year-old fighter stumbled three times in the first round, which in retrospect could have been due to the back injury he sustained early in the bout, and posed no threat whatsoever to Lee.

Lee kept the fight at distance and picked his opponent off at range. Thiam fought in a stooped stance and tried to lure Lee in to close quarters.

However, the Limerick man circled away from danger and bar one close right hand from Thiam in the final seconds of round two, was in complete control.

After the second round the fight was called to a halt when Thiam could no longer continue.

With this win Lee moves to 21-1, 15 kos, and after the fight, promoter Brian Peters told RTE Television that he was trying to get Lee a shot at Darren Barker's European middleweight title in the autumn.