Laval’s Lemieux hungry after weigh-in setback
There are few guarantees in the fight game, but when David Lemieux claims weight no longer will be an issue for him, it’s difficult to cast aspersions on that statement.
“I won’t make the same mistakes again,” the former International Boxing Federation middleweight champion told the Montreal Gazette by telephone on Monday — after his return to the ring was announced.
Lemieux, 34-3-1 with 31 knockouts, will be the co-feature on May 7 when he meets New Jersey’s Glen Tapia, 23-2 with 15 KOs, in a 10-round bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Golden Boy Promotions announced.
The bout’s on the undercard of the main event between middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan — Alvarez making the first defence of the World Boxing Council and lineal 160-pound title he won last November, against Miguel Cotto.
Lemieux and Tapia will meet at 160 pounds, the division’s weight limit. Lemieux, from Laval, was supposed to meet American James De La Rosa March 12 at the Olympia Theatre — at a catch-weight of 163 pounds — but came in at 165.6. Despite serious negotiations and De La Rosa’s purse being sweetened, the fight was cancelled.
Although Lemieux, 27, said a virus was the result of the excess pounds — forcing him to reduce his late-stage training — he admitted he usually weighs two or three pounds over the limit the morning of weigh-ins. He said he’s changing nutrition plans and history won’t be repeated.
Camille Estephan, his manager and co-promoter, said Lemieux and his handlers will monitor his weight more attentively. Following the cancelled bout against De La Rosa, tests were conducted on Lemieux’s bone density and percentage of body fat. Estephan said he is convinced the fighter’s future remains in the middleweight division.
“We’re going to be much more diligent on the weight from week to week, even if it means daily weighins,” Estephan explained. “We’re very confident he can make 160 without a problem.
“We can’t wait for David to show the world he’s one of the top middleweights and very relevant in the world of boxing.”
Lemieux’s coming off a title defeat to Gennady Golovkin last October at Madison Square Garden. Lemieux, knocked down in the fifth round, was eventually stopped in the eighth, having lost all seven rounds on all three judges’ scorecards.
While a tune-up bout against De La Rosa would have been the prescribed scenario, Lemieux vowed he won’t be affected.
“This is boxing. We wanted to fight De La Rosa, but it didn’t happen,” he said. “This fight is a wakeup call for all the middleweight fighters. I’m back and I’m geared to collect. It’s not what-if, it’s how my win’s going to come.
“I want to get back on top. This is a fight that’s going to land me on top again. A win will mean a lot of doors will be open. We want a belt, any belt. We’ll fight whomever’s most significant.”
I’m back and I’m geared to collect. It’s not what-if, it’s how my win’s going to come. DAVID LEMIEUX
That Lemieux’s being featured on such a prominent stage, and will again be featured on HBO payper-view, shows the importance of having Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy behind him.
“They understand the value of David. Obviously, HBO loves him,” Estephan said. “We had an incident. There were reasons for it and they’re giving us an opportunity to show the world what David’s about. They’re showing us they’re there for David. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
There has been speculation Alvarez could be in Lemieux’s future — provided both win their bouts.
Tapia, 26, hasn’t fought since being stopped in the fourth round by Michel Soro 10 months ago. His only other defeat came in December 2013, when James Kirkland, the former World Boxing Organization super-welterweight champ, stopped him in the sixth.
Tapia was released last week by American promoter Top Rank, quickly signing with Golden Boy. While he’s considered tough and a hard puncher, he took a savage beating against Kirkland. Tapia’s a natural junior-middleweight who will be moving up one category.
“This is a make or break moment,” Tapia said in a news release. “People will see a new and improved Glen Tapia.”
Meanwhile, it appears Washington, D.C. is the most likely venue for Badou Jack’s April 30 title defence against Montreal’s Lucian Bute. Jack is the WBC super-middleweight champ, while Bute’s a former IBF champ in the 168-pound division.