David Lemieux – A look back at 2010
Few fighters today are as active or display such devastating punching power as Middleweight “prospect” David Lemieux.
He’s on the crest of a very steep learning curve, which he has handled with relative ease, and has probably outgrown his “prospect” tag during 2010, given many boxing observers are now finally starting to sit up and take notice.
2010 started with more of a pop than an explosion, for Lemieux, as he found his 20 fight KO streak coming to an end vs Jason Naugler for the Canadian Super Middleweight Title.
Though he had Naugler down in the second, and barely staying competitive, in a completely one-sided fight, he never found the killer blow to finish the contest inside the distance, in what was his first foray into the 168 lbs division.
He was battered in every concievable way, but deserves respect for still being the only man to go the distance with Lemieux in his career to date.
He took just 2 months to put things back on track in his first defence of the title, which was fought at a catchweight, as he worked his way back down to the middleweight limit, via a second round KO of Walid Smichet.
Smichet is a solid, if unspectacular opponent, who had already shipped losses to Manfredo Jr, Duddy and Demers to name a few, in a 20-6-3 career.
It was unsurprising that the contest ended in a knockout, and this was more of a “gatekeeper” type of opponent, to continue Lemieux’ progress.
Continuing on from this, Lemieux kept up his high activity levels, just 9 weeks later against the highly respected Elvin Alaya, who had only suffered a single previous KO defeat – a 12th round, final minute stoppage against known power puncher Arthur Abraham.
The fact that Lemieux dropped him 3 times within the very first round, forcing the stoppage yet again, began to demonstrate that not only was he a puncher vs journeymen and national level fighters, he could also walk right over respected international fighters, and many people started to recognise this fact, after that fight.
David’s “KO-train” kept on rolling into October, where he faced his toughest test to date.
The highly ranked and highly regarded Hector Camacho Jr.
Again though, Lemieux completely destroyed his opponent inside the first round.
He had Camacho Jr on wobbly legs with almost every punch, and then knocked him out cold against the ropes, in one of the finishes fight fans really relish, despite Camacho’s attempts to try and cling on and weather the storm.
Not content with finishing there though, Lemieux was in action yet again during December, where he finished off once-beaten, and never KO’ed fighter Purnell Gates in the second.
In a year that started with the end of his KO streak, and finished with the early knockouts of 4 other opponents, including perhaps his two best adversaries to date, I think he is now under less pressure and can look to 2011 relaxed and focused on the inevitable World Title Shot which beckons for this young man.
Still only 21, Lemieux has so far had a remarkable career, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
He isn’t under any pressure to try and break KO records or to keep his streak rolling any more, but still manages to find finishing punches with relative ease.
This guy is a superstar in the making, and without getting over-excited, it’s difficult to see exactly who is going to stop him.
The main candidate; Sergio Martinez is looking for a grandstand finish to his career, and will want no part of Lemieux.
In a year where many top fighters managed 2 fights, David has already had 5, and still fought less rounds than the majority of those.
It’s great to see such an active fighter, capable of spectacular finishes, and long may it continue.
David Haye – A Look back at 2010
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