Laval boxer David Lemieux will be big underdog in WBC showdown

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These opportunities don’t arise often, as David Lemieux knows all too well. It takes time to rebuild a boxing career following a defeat.

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More than four years after losing a unanimous decision to former World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, Lemieux finally has clawed his way back to a position of prominence in the 168-pound super-middleweight division.

The Laval native has a 12-round main event showdown against David Benavidez, a two-time former champion in the division, May 21 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The vacant interim World Boxing Council title is on the line, meaning the winner is guaranteed a world-title bout. And both are hoping to use the bout as a stepping-stone for a showdown against Canelo Alvarez, the division’s undisputed title-holder.

“I know it’s a difficult fight,” Lemieux said Tuesday during a video conference. “I don’t want to lose this opportunity. I’m going to bring the best David Lemieux can bring. I hear a bit of what’s (being said) on social media. A lot of people are looking at Benavidez’s way. But don’t forget — David Lemieux’s here.”

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At age 33, Lemieux (43-4 with 36 knockouts) realizes he has probably reached a crossroad in his career. At 5-foot-9, he’s three inches shorter than Benavidez (25-0 with 22 KOs), eight years older and will give up approximately four inches in reach. Benavidez, a native of Phoenix, will have the crowd behind him as well and will enter the ring the prohibitive favourite.

“Each fight, regardless of your age, is now or never,” Lemieux said. “You don’t get many chances to leave a good mark in the game. Every fight’s to be taken seriously, especially a fight of this degree and magnitude. A lot’s at stake for me, absolutely. I know Benavidez is a young, hungry fighter. Benavidez is the hot guy right now in the division. What would be better than to beat him?

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Lemieux’s a former world champ himself, having captured the vacant International Boxing Federation 160-pound title against Hassan N’Dam in June 2015. But in his first title defense, four months later, Lemieux was stopped by Gennadiy Golovkin.

While Lemieux has a big punch, he has struggled against world-class opposition, often being outclassed. Lemieux also absorbs a lot of punishment. He was having difficulty making weight at 160, so he moved up to super-middleweight. While he’s undefeated in three bouts since the transition, he’s also now being challenged by bigger opponents who punch harder. In the toughest of those confrontations, Lemieux could only manage a split-decision against Maksym Bursak in December 2019.

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“This is definitely a big task,” Lemieux said. “He’s a great fighter… a big guy. But styles make fights, and I think I have the style to hurt him. Anything can be done; you’ve just got to do it. Everybody’s beatable. Nobody’s invincible.

“I want to be dominant in each round. For sure I’m fighting in his hometown of him and that’s not necessarily to my advantage. But this is the first time he’s going in with David Lemieux. I don’t know about the other 25 opponents.”

Not only is Benavidez undefeated, he’s a volume puncher who punishes opponents. He has never lost his title in the ring. Instead, he was stripped once after testing positive for cocaine, a second time for failing to make weight.

Benavidez was full of praise for Lemieux and considers him a worthy opponent. He credited Lemieux for taking the fight when others have been reluctant.

“I might get hit with some big punches, but I can give big punches back, too,” Benavidez said. “Body shots are a key. Mixing it up, using my range and throwing combinations. It has worked against everybody else. Why would it be different against Lemieux?”

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