By Ted Sares – Few who saw him in these early videos realize that “the kid from the Title videos” is now a well-regarded professional –Thomas Urville
…you know as well as I do that when you reach a certain level there will be fighters who will withstand that punishment, they will absorb it and come back for more, dishing out there own punishment. For sure he will at some point in his career step up to stiffer opposition, right now he’s just a young kid. Then you have 19-year-old fighters who are not even going to the Canadian senior amateur championships, yet David is a pro… –Russ Anber (from interview with Ivan ‘LatinoPorVida’ Montiel)
Anyone who follows Canadian boxing might have recognized his name when he turned pro at age 18 in 2007 (he planned to turn pro at 17, but the Quebec Boxing Comission made him wait a year). After all, he was a Canadian national amateur champion three times. But strangely enough, he was best known for assisting his highly capable trainer, Russ Anber, in producing a series of tutorial videos put out by Title Boxing. Since I know his trainer on a personal level, I have been closely following this middleweight who is fast becoming a fan favorite in Montreal.. Lemieux has fought several televised six-rounders on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, filling out the undercard during several championship events. In fact, I have seen several of his fights via footage which is an easy thing to do since he has only fought 29 rounds in 16 fights with 14 fights ending before the bell rings for the third round.
On the Pascal-Diaconu undercard on June 19, Lemieux set a new Canadian record with his 16th knockout in his 16th fight, as he destroyed Martin Avila (10-6 4KO) in two cantos. He floored Avila a total of four times, as he unleashed a thundering right to the body early that was heard throughout the arena. Avila was able to survive that blow, but the punches kept raining down as Lemieux continued to attack the body until the mercy stoppage.
With quick hands and a punishing jab that sets up his devastating right hand, the murderous punching Lemieux has scored some KOs that have been downright scary; for example, his chilling KO of Rene Fernandez. He also quickly softens up his opponents with sharp left hooks to the body, thus showing he has a multi-dimensional offensive arsenal.
While there are certainly questions about his defense (he is a bit too upright for my liking at times), he really has not given any of his opponents much of an opportunity to stay in with him long enough for any meaningful exposure in this regard. However, his aggressive style is manifestly more suited to offense than defense.
Some might argue that if he is to move to the next level, some things need to happen. Clearly, he needs more quality rounds– something like what Edwin Valero got from Vicente Mosquera. It would help him greatly if he was put in with a likely beatable opponent but who also can go some rounds and give him a better test.
However, he remains a work in progress and to ensure that his great potential is realized, his young age dictates that this progress needs to be rational, but now taken to a higher level. His coach plans to bring him along by matching him against opponents who offer different challenges and styles thereby providing an opportunity to learn on the job. While many Canadian fans want to see this power-puncher matched against bigger names, Abner stubbornly holds the line asserting that he doesn’t anticipate a title fight until Lemieux has had around 40 fights. In this manner, Lemieux is being brought along in a way that 1) will maximize his earning potential and 2) ensure his longevity in a sport where longevity is fast becoming something of the past. To quote Anber, “The one who prepares best usually wins, I just want to make sure David is well prepared, doesn’t come out with a lack of respect for his opponents, does his thing properly, and acts like a real pro. That’s my goal.”
As a prospect to watch, Lemieux is an active and extremely fan-friendly fighter delivering hard-hitting and relentless action. As well, he is very well composed, doesn’t waste too many punches, and combines great hand speed with good balance) as reflected in his win over Lance Moodie). In particular, I am impressed by the way he side steps and pivots–something you rarely see in young fighters.
After having watched most of his fights, my expectations are high. When he complements his natural talent with hard-won defensive skills, those expectations may be realized and he may well become a new Canadian boxing force, particularly with a savvy management team in his corner.
Meanwhile, David Lemieux remains someone to keep your eyes on.