It’s always tricky to speculate on a boxer’s future when the dust hasn’t completely settled after a loss.
This is all the more true in the case of David Lemieux, given that almost everyone is wondering about his future since he was singularly beaten by David Benavidez, Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona, in a fight for the interim WBC super middleweight title.
In his first matchup against a true member of the world elite in the weight class he adopted two and a half years ago, the Quebecer was outplayed in every way, his trainer Marc Ramsay throwing in the towel 1 minute 31 seconds only of the 3rd round.
In an interview on Wednesday at 5 to 7, Ramsay mentioned that he already had his idea as to what to do next, but he didn’t want to share it publicly until he had first shared it with his protege as well as all the team members who were involved. surrounds Lemieux. The coach added that the former IBF middleweight champion had most likely already decided on his future.
And in the eyes of two Quebec boxing stakeholders interviewed by RDS.ca over the past few hours, it seems clear that Ramsay will recommend Lemieux hang up his gloves.
“Marc is an extremely lucid man. He saw like everyone else that Lemieux’s recent performances are far from brilliant, said the first speaker, who requested anonymity so as not to harm his good relations with the Lemieux clan. He got involved in a war with a guy (Maksym Bursark) that he should have beaten and Francy Ntetu knocked him down. The fall had not been counted, but that’s what happened anyway. »
” Yes [son promoteur] Camille [Estephan] loves him as much as he says he does, he absolutely must tell him to step down, added the second speaker who also requested anonymity in order to be able to speak freely on the subject. He had a great career and pocketed some good scholarships. But more importantly, he is the father of three children. It’s time to step down. »
In the minutes that followed Lemieux’s setback, Ramsay quickly recognized that his protege was at an impasse. Unable to meet the 160-pound limit, he was unable to truly compete with the elite at 168 pounds. Ramsay even joked that the difference in size between Lemieux and Benavidez was noticeable on the posters promoting the fight which was televised in the United States on the airwaves of show time.
“At the weigh-in, the difference was just huge, corroborated the first responder. On fight night, Benavidez was expected to be 15-20 pounds heavier than Lemieux. From the start, it was clear that Lemieux’s shots had no effect on Benavidez. The fight was already over even though it had barely begun. Benavidez was too big, too strong, too fast… He was too everything. »
Beyond the fact that everyone agrees that Lemieux has virtually no chance of defeating the elite super middleweight, the two speakers suggest that the Quebecer could ultimately put his health at risk by continuing to fight. evolve in this category.
“Lemieux is a spectacular boxer and that’s exactly what the industry is looking for. Moreover, he is a former world champion. It has a name, the first responder recalled. The problem is that Lemieux does not have a particularly watertight defense and he is a boxer who trades blow for blow. Against guys bigger and bigger than him, it’s not forgiving.
“Lemieux has accomplished many great things in the world of boxing, but he is down to 48 pro fights. It is worn out. His hands are messed up, he’s taken a beating. The bill came in…”
“Lemieux spent several years in the world top-10 and very few Quebec boxers can boast of such a feat, continued the second speaker. But at 168 pounds, he’s just way too small. His strike force unfortunately did not translate and as his defense is rather limited, I reiterate that the time has really come to withdraw. »
Lemieux’s reaction of disgust after the end of hostilities on Saturday evening proved that those around him will have a lot to do to convince him to stop – now or in the near future – because boxing is unfortunately a sport that will always welcome his people. with open arms.
