Mike Lee strives to turn his perfect plan into reality

Light heavyweight contender Mike Lee had a clear plan for 2017. Despite a couple of stumbling blocks, a title shot could soon be within Lee’s grasp.

The first time FanSided spoke with ranked light heavyweight contender Mike Lee — the Notre Dame alumnus and Subway spokesman who opted to forgo a career on Wall Street to box professionally — the amiable and intelligent boxer made a couple of things clear: the emphasis on his unique educational background and early-career notoriety were things of the past, and his medium-term goal was to position himself for a world title shot by the end of 2017.

Since then, Lee (19-0, 10 KOs) has fought on national television and established himself as a viable headliner. He’s also grown as a fighter thanks to banking 18 rounds over his last two contests. Moreover, Lee’s dominant decision win against Chris Traietti earned him the USBA title at 175-pounds and a top-15 world ranking. After struggling with a slew of injuries and promotional issues between 2012 and 2014, Lee had finally seemed to hit his stride.

But if there’s one thing Mike Lee exudes other than supreme focus and confidence in his plan and abilities, it’s his capacity to analyze and criticize his progress. Because Lee is so detail-oriented and blunt, he didn’t mince words when speaking of his last fight — an eight-round majority decision win over Justin Thomas.

“To be honest, I didn’t feel great in the last fight,” Lee told FanSided over the phone. “Things happen in your career, and it was one of those fights where I fought a tough southpaw who was 18-1. Anytime you’re fighting a southpaw it’s always a bit different and a little bit more difficult. But on top of that, I wasn’t feeling as good. That happens. I had some aches and pains, and some injuries in training camp, and wasn’t able to perform the way I wanted to on fight night.”

Lee concedes that he felt tired around the fourth or fifth round and realized, palpably, that the fight was going to be far more gruelling than he anticipated. Undeterred, he simply understood that he had to “bite down” and fight more on instinct, which proved to be a valuable experience.

And yet, Lee refuses to gloss over any of his shortcomings in the Thomas fight. Although he has always understood the value of compiling as much diverse in-ring experience as possible, learning that certain shifts in the momentum or tenor of a fight cannot be prepared for in advance was an essential lesson for the proactive and rigorous Lee. Teachable moment aside, Lee, with almost shocking honesty, can put his last bout into perspective: “I still feel like it was a bit of a loss.”

This feeling has only galvanized Mike Lee, who returned to training with a renewed vigor and emphasis on conditioning. Now, having graduated to 10-round fights, Lee puts in that level of work in every component of training — whether that means sparring, or hitting the mitts and heavy bag. Part of this is also a sort of mental conditioning. By consistently grinding through that 10-round gauntlet, Lee knows he’ll be prepared to go the distance on fight night.

The Traietti fight was the first time Lee had boxed a full 10 rounds, and it came in his highest stakes contest. On the other hand, the additional eight stanzas he boxed against Thomas felt like more due to the bout’s mental and physical tolls.

“What people don’t realize, especially when you get up to the tougher, elite fighters in these 10-12 rounds fights, is the mental side of this game is so important,” Lee said. “You see some of the best guys in the world, guys who are on the pound-for-pound list – it’s because they understand that – that it’s chess, not checkers. And I feel that as I progress, that’s where my mental assets will come into play and be an advantage.”

Mike Lee has had to remain grounded and rely on his mental fortitude during a crossroads moment in his career. At 30, he’s finally healthy and in his physical prime, and the contender mix at light heavyweight is exciting and constantly shifting. As long as he keeps winning and remains in fighting condition, a shot will come.

But first, Lee must dispatch Aaron Quattrocchi (10-1-1, 5 KOs) on September 15 at “The Dome at the Ballpark” in Rosemont, Illinois, in a fight that will be telecast live on CBS Sports Network (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT). Lee understands that he must win and impress if he wants to make the leap to earn fights against the likes of Marcus Browne or Sullivan Barrera, or even the men they recently defeated: Seanie Monaghan and Joe Smith Jr., respectively.

Although Lee is certainly in that mix, he somewhat laments his seven-month layoff between February and September. Promotional issues sidelined Lee for that stretch, but now he’s a free agent and firmly in control of his destiny. He’s always been a viable attraction at the box office, and his recent fights have enabled him to combine that drawing power with the concrete experience and pressure that comes with being a main event fighter. Ideally, Lee would have liked to be heading into his fourth fight of 2017, but he’s adamant that he’ll fit another bout in before the end of the year.

“That [being a free agent] allows me to keep doing my thing on these shows or sign with somebody that believes in the same vision I have — that I’m going to become world champion.”

It would be easy for someone like Mike Lee to allow himself to plateau and continue to headline reasonably prominent cards where he’s the star and consistently fighting opponents he’s expected to bludgeon. The money is solid, and the knowledge of being able to rest on one’s laurels is tempting for anyone. But Lee doesn’t buy into that mindset for a second, as his focus, when it comes to boxing, is singular. His ambitions remain lofty despite injury setbacks and the atypical, pressure-packed start to his career — a dynamic that would have broken or exposed plenty of boxers.

“I want to align with somebody that understands that I want to fight for a world title – and I want to win a world title,” Lee emphasized. “I think a lot of guys jump too early at a shot to fight for a title just to say they did it, or for the wrong reasons.”

Although Mike Lee hasn’t yet had the opportunity to step up to the elite level — that’s immanent if he defeats Quattrocchi — he is correct in pointing out that because of his early celebrity and undefeated record, he’s always been scrutinized and has dealt with supremely and uniquely motivated foes. Lee’s standing at light heavyweight is solid and his progress is on schedule, but he also understands that the division’s landscape is precarious. Things change on a monthly basis, with a fighter like Seanie Monaghan, who had been linked with Lee for a potential clash, suffering a devastating loss that has called his viability into serious question.

For now, Lee is focusing on what he can control and is relishing the chance to once again fight on national television. Aaron Quattrocchi represents yet another must-win contest, and the knowledge that Lee could be a fight or two from a title shot keeps him motivated. But make no mistake, he isn’t looking too far ahead, even though he knows exactly what he’s planning for, and that’s reflected in how he’s preparing for this upcoming fight.

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“Like 19 other guys,” Lee said when asked about his approach to the Quattrocchi bout. “I never overlook anybody, I never underestimate anybody – I train my ass off. Ever since I started gaining notoriety from Top Rank and the Subway commercials in the beginning, I’ve always had a big target on my back. I know that. And I’ve gotten the best from everybody. I think that’s made me a stronger, tougher fighter – and person.”