This coming Saturday night, WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against former IBF champion David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) in a very high stakes fight.

The co-main attraction will be a 10-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title between Antoine "Action" Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) and Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs).

Also on the televised card will be Cletus "Hebrew Hammer" Seldin (21-0, 17 KOs) who will face Yves Ulysse Jr. (14-1, 9 KOs) for a 10-round super lightweight bout. The action will be televised by HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.



Former undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, who is also an executive in Golden Boy Promotions - who co-promote Lemieux - anticipates a very tough contest for both boxers.

"David Lemieux... Billy Joe Saunders... They both have the goods to carry on in the middleweight division, over the next year, 2018, with an excitement of what's going to happen next. I look at this fight... We have two guys whose styles really go together. When you have that type of skills and that type of matchup, you're going to have fireworks. Anyone that underestimates a fighter that Frank Warren brings over, from wherever he brings him from, you gotta take that seriously," Hopkins said.

The fight, on paper, is close to a 50-50 fight.

Many believe Lemieux, if he lands one of his monstrous punches, will be able to take out Saunders.

The winner, says Hopkins, is a lock to be part of the elite class which consist of Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs.

"I know from experience that [Saunders] didn't come here to lay down, he didn't come here to give anything away. So David Lemieux has to know that he needs to be at his best. Both fighters now have the opportunity to become superstars in their weight division, but first they have to pass the test that comes Saturday. After the works that's been done so far, the best is to come," Hopkins said.