Canada's David Lemieux to face Billy Joe Saunders for WBO middleweight title
CThe Associated Press
anada's David Lemieux is getting another shot at a world title.
Lemieux (38-3, 33 knockouts) is to face World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders of Britian at the Place Bell arena in Laval, Que., on Dec. 16, the Montreal fighter's manager Camille Estephan said.
The power-punching Lemieux won the vacant International Boxing Federation title by unanimous decision over Hassan N'dam in June 2015, but lost it four months later by eighth-round technical knockout to unified champion Gennady Golovkin in New York. He has won all four of his fights since then, most recently a unanimous decision over Marcos Reyes on May 6 in Las Vegas.
“We're obviously very excited,” said Estephan. “It's difficult to get a champion to come here and fight in Quebec but we did it.
“Now David needs to win this fight and he's already highly motivated to do that.”
Lemieux was slated to face Miguel Cotto on Dec. 2 in New York, but when the 36-year-old former world champion opted to face Sadam Ali instead, the WBO named Lemieux the mandatory title challenger to Saunders. Two sides came to an agreement ahead of a purse bid scheduled for Friday.
Saunders (25-0, 12 KOS) is to fight outside of Britain for the first time. The lefthander will make his third defence of the title he took in December 2015 from Andy Lee.
His last outing was a win by decision over American Willie Monroe Jr. on Sept. 16.