While you are correct in saying Vera couldn't get past the first round in The Contender you must recognize that he was fighting at Super Middleweight and Jaidon Codrington is a HUGE puncher....he's not very skilled but he had enough power to rock Vera AND in The Contender the fighters don't train the way they are used to.

Andy Lee is 23, he has had 16 fights, and Brian Vera was a very rough customer for him to get his first big test with. Sure Lee has shown his power and skill vs other fighters but given the point in his career where he is Brian Vera like it or not was a GIANT leap in competition, he's young, he's in his prime, he's fought legit super middleweights with skill and power on Andy Lee's current level, and he's only had ONE LOSS.

Sure Brian Vera has probably overachieved in beating Andy Lee but the loss was more due to Andy Lee not fighting a smart fight....he's obviously Irish in that he's tough and he's stubborn but he has the skill set to achieve great things and I think with more training and more learning about the pro game he's going to have to claw his way back into the game but if you think about boxing there are not a lot of Roy Jones Jr.'s or Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s and there are more Bernard Hopkins' (lost his first fight), Pipino Cuevas' (lost 5 of his first 12 fights), and Alexis Arguello's (who was 23-3 at one time losing 2 fights by KO).

Lots of GREAT fighters lose before they become great and I still think Andy Lee has the goods