By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has learned that negotiations are currently ongoing to finalize an April fight between WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm (36-2-2, 15KOs) and top-rated contender Andy Lee (27-1, 19KOs). It has been confirmed that Lee was pulled from the Sergio Martinez-Matthew Macklin card, which is scheduled for March 17th at The Theater in New York's Madison Square Garden. Lee was going to face a yet to be determined opponent in the HBO televised co-feature.

"We are talking with Sturm's people. Andy wants a big fight. He wants to fight Felix Sturm. Andy and [Lee's trainer and manager] Emanuel Steward want the fight. They want me to pursue this opportunity and that's why Andy is not fighting on March 17th. He wants to hold out for a big opportunity. Sturm doesn't have an opponent for April and we hope to make that fight," Lee's promoter, Lou DiBella, told BoxingScene.com.

With Lee removed from the HBO broadcast, the likely replacement is a battle of super middleweight hard-hitters, between Edwin Rodriguez (20-0, 14KOs) and Donovan George (22-1-1, 19KOs).