Billy Joe Saunders knocks down Andy Lee twice, wins WBO middleweight title

We have a new champion in the 160-pound division.

Billy Joe Saunders knocked down Andy Lee twice and prevailed via majority decision to win the WBO middleweight title on Saturday at Manchester Arena in England. One judge scored it 113-113, overruled by tallies of 115-111 and 114-112. Showtime Extreme televised the bout in the U.S.

"I beat a good, sturdy champ," Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) said. "I used his power against him. When I was boxing him he got a little reckless. I caught him with the hook.

"I got very excited, but Andy Lee showed that he can be dangerous. He actually caught me when I tried to finish me. He didn't hurt me … and I got back to my boxing. You take the lead hand away from him, he's been beaten three times. Some fighters just got reckless with him."

The deciding factor in the title tilt was Round 3. Saunders, a southpaw, ducked under Lee's punch, and delivered a devastating, short right hook on the button that dropped the champ. Lee beat the count on wobbly legs, and Saunders went for the kill. They fought on the inside, and Saunders was able to land another right hand, this one knocking Lee down to a knee.

But as he always does, Lee showed impressive recuperative powers and escaped the round.

And Lee (34-3-1, 24 KOs) has shown in the past that he's dangerous when hurt. He was dropped twice by Peter Quillin during their April draw, and rebounded over the second half to score his own knockdown. Lee was also losing before scoring knockout victories over Matt Korobov and John Jackson. He won the title in December, but didn't make a single successful defense.

Even though Lee was clearly down on the cards once again, he didn't show a sense of urgency until the final round, and was unable to close the gap.

Saunders could now head to a fight with Gennady Golovkin or Daniel Jacobs.

(Photo credit: Frank Warren Promotions)