By: Christopher Roche

After suffering a questionable knockdown in round 1, where it appeared he slipped on a ring logo, Brian Vera came back to stop Andy Lee at 2:17 of round seven.

Lee was cut over his eye, and he was gushing blood badly. Vera landed right hands at will during the seventh round, and he unloaded on the previously undefeated Irishman.

Despite the bold predictions of Lee’s trainer Emmanuel Steward, and the gushing praise of the ESPN2 Crew toward Lee, Brian Vera pulled out the victory. Vera, who recently moved from Texas to Philadelphia in order to improve his boxing career, showed amazing heart and tenacity, as he handed Lee a devastating loss. Lee will not be a champion in 2008, as Steward recently predicted to ESPN.com.

The referee will endure some controversy for the stoppage, as Lee was still throwing punches, but Lee appeared in very bad shape. Vera staggered him several times during the fight, and the shots were landing uncontested at the end. The 26 year-old Vera moved to 16-1, 10 KO’s, while Lee, 23, dropped to 15-1, 12 KO’s.