BEWARE THE POWER
World champion Saunders must beware the danger of Lemieux’s punch, writes Daniel Herbert
Billy Joe Saunders travels to Canada to face the big-hitting David Lemieux
IF, as some feel, Billy
Joe Saunders is at his best when up against it, then expect him to make a real statement to the boxing world when he fights David Lemieux on Saturday (December 16).
For not only is the Canadian a ferocious puncher – 33 early wins out of 38 in 41 bouts – but Saunders travels to his backyard at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec for a 12-rounder that sees the Englishman defend his WBO middleweight belt.
Even some on this side of the Atlantic are predicting a night of pain for Saunders, plus the end of his hopes of securing a lucrative title unification with either Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez.
But then the Hertfordshire gypsy has often thrived in adversity, if you study his career closely.
He was still only 18 when he competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, losing in his second contest to Cuba’s eventual silver medallist Carlos Banteur (whom he had beaten a few months earlier).
And he has done everything asked of him so far as a professional, including inflicting the only defeat on Chris Eubank Jnr, and wresting the WBO strap from hard-hitting southpaw Andy Lee, dropping him twice.
Much of the negativity surrounding him stems from what has happened since that 2014-15 golden spell – or rather what hasn’t happened. Instead of kicking on, Saunders has meandered through a couple of unproductive years, defending his crown just twice, as well as switching trainers from Jimmy Tibbs to Adam Booth to Dominic Ingle.
He will have gained few new fans in outscoring little-known Russian Artur Akavov unconvincingly, and then outboxing (more clearly, to be fair) the USA’S Willie Monroe Jnr, previously thrashed in six by Golovkin to suggest a gulf in class between Saunders and the fearsome Kazakh.
Billy Joe couldn’t help a planned defence against Avtandil Khurtsidze falling through when the Georgian got arrested, but didn’t help himself with uncouth tweets directed at boxing writers.
But the old saying, “You’re only as good as your last fight”, could have been made for the situation he now finds himself in. A spectacular win on Saturday night in front of millions watching on BT Sport 2/Boxnation (in the UK) and HBO (in the USA), and all will be forgiven.
Saunders certainly seems aware of this fight’s importance. Last month there emerged photos of a chiselled appearance, suggesting he has been training hard in Sheffield’s famed Ingle gym. And Billy Joe recognises that Lemieux possesses the sort of numbing power that can short-circuit an opponent, if given the opportunity.
Said Billy Joe: “This is the classic matchup between boxer and puncher, and I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to be very aware because, as you all know, boxing is a funny game – it can end very quickly with one punch.
“And it goes both ways. Lemieux shows a lot of heart when he comes to fight, but the real truth is I’m too slick and too good for him. David is going to eat some and he’s going to beg me to finish him off.”
Lemieux has built a reputation as a formidable puncher, but like many of that ilk he has been hurt and stopped himself. In fact, two of his three defeats have come inside the distance – and while being halted in eight by Golovkin in October 2015 was no disgrace, a sevenround stoppage by Marco Antonio Rubio in April 2011 is harder to explain away.
Lemieux had won his first 25 going into that one, but the experienced Mexican outlasted him. When David returned eight months later and was
outpointed over 12 by compatriot Joachim Alcine (an EX-WBA titlist down at super-welter), it seemed he was never going to fulfil his early promise.
But he regrouped and strung together nine straight wins, culminating in a points defeat of Hassan N’dam N’jikam for the vacant IBF 160lb title in June 2015. He floored the Cameroon-born Frenchman four times in a fight that was competitive in between the knockdowns.
It earned him a showdown four months later with Golovkin, but Lemieux was decked in the fifth and way behind on points when rescued in round eight. It showed that for all his concussive power, the Canadian is not unbeatable – and with only two of his four subsequent fights (all victories) ending early, it’s possible his punch might be slightly exaggerated at the highest level.
The Marc Ramsay-trained fighter insists he has more strings to his bow, however; that he can box if needs be.
“I think you are in for a surprise,” he informed Saunders. “If the fight demands me chasing you, I will chase you. If the fight demands me to go toe to toe, I will.
“It’s time to be world champion again. Saunders is about to get destroyed. I’m going to be extremely ready for this fight and I’m going to inflict a lot of pain.”
Lemieux provided a spectacular example of what he can do in March, when one huge left hook rendered fringe contender (and Golovkin victim) Curtis Stevens unconscious in the third round of a shoot-out. The American had to get checked out in hospital before being ruled OK, but it was a frightening reminder of Lemieux’s power.
Of course, a punch only hurts if it lands – and Saunders will be relying on his defensive skills to keep out of trouble.
“Lemieux looks good against B-level fighters,” he noted. “But he is now getting in the ring with someone far superior and slicker than anyone he’s ever been in with.
“This has all the makings of a good fight. I’m expecting a good, clean, fair decision. Once I beat Lemieux I’ll be moving onto bigger fish – the winner of the [proposed] rematch between Canelo and Golovkin.”
Billy Joe’s chin has so far survived tests in both the amateurs (Olympics included) and the professionals, where neither Eubank Jnr nor Lee could drop him. The former did rally over the fight’s second half to push Saunders all the way to a split decision, but most accepted the Hatfield man had built a big enough lead to deserve his victory.
And let’s not forget that Lee, in his three fights before Saunders, had produced one-punch finishes of John Jackson and Matt Korobov, before dropping Peter Quillin during a 12-round draw. Yet Andy didn’t dent Billy Joe’s chin. Then again, Lee is a portsider like Saunders, so maybe the angles just didn’t suit him. It’s worth examining Lemieux’s form against southpaws. His most recent experience against one brought a 10-round points win over Argentina’s awkward Cristian Fabian Rios in October 2016. David scaled 3 3/4lbs over middleweight for that one and admitted he made mistakes, that it was all part of the learning process. Back in May 2014 he did knock out Fernando Guerrero in three rounds, but the Dominican Republic man had been stopped by Grady Brewer and Peter Quillin – and since Lemieux he has also been halted by Tony Harrison – a super-welter. And way back in October 2010, Lemieux was a one-round KO winner over Hector Camacho Jnr, who’d started his pro career down at 140lbs and been stopped at 154 by Andrey Tsurkan. It’s difficult to draw definitive
conclusions from those fights about his ability to land one of his bombs on Saunders’ chin. But we do know that a fit and focused Saunders will provide a much more elusive target than the undercooked version that squeaked past Akavov a year ago.
At some point, Lemieux figures to land one on the champion’s chin – and it will be in Billy Joe’s response that we can gauge his chances of retaining. The feeling here is that Saunders may well be rocked, and possibly even dropped, in the early going, but that otherwise his better accuracy and movement will earn him most rounds as he claims a hardfought points victory.
There’s more middleweight action on the undercard with Irish entertainer Gary “Spike” O’sullivan boxing American Antoine Douglas over 10 rounds.
Cork’s O’sullivan has 26 wins, 18 early, against defeats to WBO champ Saunders (ud 12) and Eubank Jnr (rtd 7).
Last time out he scored a thrilling four-round stoppage of Nick Quigley in September.
Douglas, 22-1-1 (16), has won three in a row since being brutally stopped in 10 by tank-like Khurtsidze in March 2016. If that has left traces, O’sullivan can snatch this one on points.
THE VERDICT The stakes are high, but so will be the rewards for Saunders if he wins this showcase.