By Richard Cloutier
BoxingScene.com/Netboxe.com learned that due to a rib injury suffered during training, the current Canadian champion at welterweight, Toronto's Victor Lupo (18-1-2), will not be able to confront Antonin Decarie (23-1-0) on October 29 as part of the event "Fast & Furious" presented at the Bell Centre in Montreal by the Groupe Yvon Michel. A replacement has been found, and now Puerto Rican boxer Irving Garcia (17-5-3) will face Decarie.
Garcia fought to a technical draw in 2008 when he fought Yuriy Nuzhnenko (27-0-0) of Ukraine for the interim WBA title. This is the same belt that escaped Antonin Decarie in his last bout against former world champion Souleymane M'Baye (38-3-1) that was played out in France on May 28.
Note that his last two duels, Irving Garcia lost by knockout. The first time to Argentinian Luis Carlos Abregú (26-0-0) and the second in July to Mike Jones (21-0-0) in Atlantic City in a battle for the NABA and NABO title.
In the main fight of the evening, the current WBC International champion David Lemieux (23-0-0) will defend his belt against Hector Camacho Jr. (53-3-1).
"David has a lot to do in this fight, says promoter Yvon Michel. "Camacho is a clever boxer and brilliant, highly mobile and has much experience. David is well prepared, but the fact remains that his opponent is a southpaw and he will come here with a plan, a strategy. It will not be a rival such as Elvin Ayala, for example, who came to David from the opening seconds of fight. David will surely have to show us his ability to adapt in the ring. That should give us a very good fight."
