N'Dam: Lemieux Didn't Earn Shot, Fails in Big Spots

By Edward Chaykovsky

Top middleweight contender Hassan N'Dam (31-1,18 KOs) is motivated to prove a point when he faces Quebec power puncher David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) for the vacant IBF Middleweight World Championship on Saturday, June 20th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The fight was made when several other top contenders refused to face N'Dam for the vacant belt. When Lemieux was presented with the title opportunity, he jumped on it. The belt became vacant when champion Jermain Taylor had a mental breakdown and found himself in a hot mess of legal issues.

N'Dam says Lemieux never earned a title shot, he landed the opportunity due to circumstance and luck.

"I just have a message for David Lemieux," N'Dam said. "Man, you better get ready because the spot you're in, the challenger spot you're in, you didn't earn it. You got it by chance, by luck. I'm going to prove to you and to the entire world that you do not have the level of [the elite]. When you had the chance to become mandatory challenger, you always blew your chances."

N'Dam does have some anger coming into this contest, because he doesn't like the fact that Lemieux is earning a lot more money from the fight.

"I know everyone is talking about the fact that I am unhappy of the purse that I am getting for the fight. Of course, I am not very happy because I've heard several comments coming from my opponent's camp saying that he's going to have the largest purse in his career. I would like the idea, rules for the purse to be respected, and that is the purse must be split at 50/50, and there's no additional money. I don't want to talk about that anymore, but I just hope that the rules are going to be respected," N'Dam said.