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September 13, 2012 12:30PM EST

Q&A with Mike Lee

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Archived Q&A with Mike Lee

  • Q

    Thank you Mike Lee for joining us for today’s Q&A. Welcome! What’s your training regimen like?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Right now it's 6 days a week. Boxing in the morning, strength and conditioning in the afternoon. In the evening they'll have me do yoga or swimming it's a pretty intense regimen.

  • Q

    Do you have a specific game-plan for this Saturday’s fight?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Yeah we obviously have a specific game plan. Ronnie Shields and I have been working on it in the gym. People know I'm a big puncher and I'm aggressive. You're going to have to tune in to see the gameplan.

  • Q

    Who are some of your favorite boxers?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Some of my favorite boxers growing up were Miguel Cotto, Arturo Gatti and Kelly Pavlik.

  • Q

    What kind of food do you eat when you’re training?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    We eat very clean. We try to focus on a lot of lean protein. Staying away from fatty or fried foods completely. The main thing for me is staying healthy, eating 6 small portions today. It's all about portion control and moderation for me.

  • Q

    What was it like attending ND?!

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    It was incredible. An experience that will forever shape my life. The education I got there was tremendous but more importantly what I took away from it was the people I met and the support I got from alumni in my career. That kind of support in invaluable.

  • Q

    What was it like being in a Subway commercial?!

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Pretty incredible. I've been in a handful of them now and I'll be in more later this year. It's a surreal moment when you see your face on TV when you randomly pop up in a commercial. It's given me a ton of national exposure and it's a great fit because I've been eating their sandwiches for years. It's a dream come true.

  • Q

    do you listen to music to get amped for a fight?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Always> I always need upbeat music. I usually listen to rap or hip-hop. I'm a big Drake fan and for me before a fight it's always important to get into that mode.

  • Q

    Hi Mike. Why did you choose boxing over Wall Street?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I chose boxing before I loved the sport. I had some success early on and I wanted to fulfill my dream to become a world champion one day. I knew no matter where this opportunity took me I wanted to take a chance and do what I love and chase my dream.

  • Q

    Do you like to go into the ring angry?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    No, I like to go in determined and focused. I think when you get in there angry you forget about your gameplan and fight on pure emotions> It's somewhere between completely calm and angry...right in the middle!

  • Q

    Who do you think will win: Chavez Jr or Martinez?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I think this fight really is a toss up. I think 2 things can happen: either Chavez will beat him on points or Martinez will wear him out and knock him out in later rounds. I think Martinez had the advantage and Chavez needs to come in there and physically dominate him to win.

  • Q

    What or who inspired you to become a boxer?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    My dad and my cousin Lou. My cousin Lou is a fighter and my dad was always an athlete. I was brought to a gym at an early age and I just fell in love with it.

  • Q

    What's your favorite Subway Sandwich?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    A 6 inch turkey on wheat. I like to load it up with veggies and put some spicy mustard on there. I like to stay away from cheese so sometimes I do double wheat. I eat there a lot during my training camp.

  • Q

    Who do you consider your toughest opponent to-date?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Probably my last opponent, he had a ton of wins by KO but at the end of the day I had more power and I was too fast and too strong for him.

  • Q

    how many weeks have you spent in trainning camp for the fight?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    We usually spend around 6 to 8 weeks. i live full time in Houston Texas where my trainer lives so I'm always training. Specifically for a fight camp though it's 6-8 weeks.

  • Q

    What other sports do you enjoy besides boxing?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I love college football. I also like playing basketball.

  • Q

    what kind of legacy do you want to leave in the ring?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I want to be known as fighter who's aggressive and tough. A guy who gave it his all. A guy who went in there with a mindset that he's going to win and do anything he can to win. I want to be respected that way in the ring.

  • Q

    What athletes, outside of boxing, do you draw inspiration from? What one of your biggest motivations?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Growing up being a kid from Chicago I was a huge Michael Jordan fan. I've also respected guys like Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning. I've always respected athletes that don't talk smack and handle their business on the field.

  • Q

    What are some of your secrets for exercise nutrition?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Simple secrets are try to exercise and do something you like. Even when I'm doing strength conditioning I always mix it up. It's important to always mix it up and discover all the ways to exercise and have fun. If you're having fun doing it, you're going to become healthier.

  • Q

    Hey Mike, Corey here. Can you tell me about your amateur boxing experience?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I started fighting and training in Chicago. I won the Chicago Golden Gloves and just started getting better and better. I wanted to turn pro quickly so I didn't have a long amateur career. I did a lot of my learning in the pro rings.

  • Q

    Hi Mike! I've begun train boxing, it would be great any advice for improve my game. I'm working a lot on focus pads and skipping.

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I would say do a lot of shadow boxing. I would say that's very underestimated. Working on your technique and shadow boxing is something we do all the time. Simulating a fight helps you develop that muscle memory.

  • Q

    What’s it like training with Ronnie Shields?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    It's amazing just hearing the stories of all the past world champions he's trained. We really click and get along. He's a teacher and I feel like I'm learning every day for every fight. I'm honored to be working with him and we've always had a great chemistry since I started working with him.

  • Q

    got any wild (or funny) notre dame stories?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    Yeah of course I do but none that I'd like to reveal publicly!

  • Q

    If you could fight anyone from the past or present who would it be and why?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    That's a really tough question. I guess the only person I want to fight when the times comes is whoever has the belt. I've had a lot of idols growing up but I think I like them too much to want to fight him. Whoever had the belt when it's my turn to fight them...that's who I want to fight.

  • Q

    how are you feeling for your upcoming fight?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I feel great. We had an awesome training camp. My weight is on point, the sparring went good. I'm coming into it very healthy so I'm very excited.

  • Q

    That's all the time we have for today's Q&A. A huge thank you to Mike Lee for joining us. Anything else you'd like to say, Mike?

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    A
    Mike Lee says:

    I'd like to say thank you for the continued support. It means the world to me and makes me train harder everyday. Tune in Saturday night on HBO PPV and I'll be fighting the fight before the main event. Watch me get my 11th win.