By Cliff Rold
With an excited crowd behind him outdoors at the Uniprix Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Friday night, 21-year old hometown Middleweight knockout artist David Lemieux (23-0, 22 KO) added his latest victim in 29-year old former title challenger Elvin Ayala (20-5-1, 9 KO), dropping Ayala three times en route to a first round stoppage.
Lemieux came into the bout just under the division’s 160 lb. limit at 159, Ayala slightly over at 161 ½.
Lemieux, who has fought all of his fights in Montreal, popped a left jab right away, Ayala answering with a pair of measured blows. As the Canadian came forward aggressively, Ayala pulled his right hand high and used his left shoulder to send leather flying beyond him. A right hand from Lemieux got in, and then another, Ayala brought to full alert by the power puncher. Lemieux kept coming, letting loose with bombs from either hand as Ayala maintained a defensive stance. A left to the body from Ayala briefly brought pause to the Lemieux assault and Ayala stayed with two more shots to the body in an attempt to keep his man honest. A Lemieux right hand near the ropes grazed the temple of Ayala and the American pushed his feet towards the middle of the ring.
A double jab from Lemieux sent his right back towards the strands, flowing with left hook to stun Ayala and then a thudding right and left to drop him. Ayala was to his feet immediately, referee Gerry Bolen picking up the count at four and tolling the mandatory eight. Ayala nodded he could go on and Bolen waved the fight on. A hard left jab, then a hammering right and left, came in deliberate fashion as Ayala swung wildly to stay alive. Lemieux trapped him on the ropes with another left hook and then blasted him with the same shot as Ayala stumbled across the ring. Showing bottom, Ayala fired three shots and stepped to his left, looking for a right but not giving it any mustard. Fighting off the ropes, an Ayala left just missed and he covered up as Lemieux stayed the stalker. A right crashed through the Ayala guard and two lefts sent him caroming face first towards the floor, Ayala’s left hand attempting to grasp the ropes on the way down.
Ayala pulled himself up onto his left knee and Bolen picked up the count again at four. Ayala rose at nine, his eyes wide as he stared across the ring at a Lemieux ready for the kill. Stepping forward with his hands near his chest, Ayala ate a flush right, short left, and then a leveraged final left hook, rocked to the canvas for the third and final time as Bolen waved the night done at 2:44 of the opening round. Ayala was still fighting to rise as Lemieux and his corner began their celebration.
It was the most impressive win of Lemieux’s career to date. Ayala had been stopped only once before, a 12th round knockout loss to brick fisted then-IBF Middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham in 2008. One fight prior to that, Ayala held Contender Season One winner and still future Jr. Middleweight titlist Sergio Mora to a draw. The first round stop on Friday night could be a sign of impressive things to come for the Quebecer.
Lemieux, asked when he knew it could be an early night, replied, “When he started trading with me. I knew this guy was trying to take me out early. I knew he was a great fighter offensively. I didn’t expect this. This was a big surprise for me. I didn’t expect him to come out like this. He came out, I stayed compact, I saw a lot of openings, and I just went for it. I went for a big shot.”
Looking ahead, Lemieux stated, “This is the beginning…of a lot of fights, a lot of wins, and a future World Champion. I can punch. I’m gonna’ be ranked top ten, I want to fight whoever they give me until I reach my goal to be a World Champion.”
The current World Middleweight Champion is Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO). Time will tell if, and when, Martinez will begin to have to look over his shoulder to the north.
Where the main event saw the favorite get an expected, if unexpectedly quick, victory, the televised opener supplied a mild upset.
With three straight losses heading into the night, 28-year old Contender Season Three contestant Brian Vera (17-4, 11 KO), 168, found the spoiler magic that upended a then-undefeated Andy Lee in March 2008, handling 30-year old local Super Middleweight Sebastian Demers (31-3, 11 KO), 167, of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, in just three rounds.
The fight was close through the first two rounds, each man working their way into what looked like it could be a long night. Vera stymied such thoughts early in the third, a harsh left-right sending Demers to the floor. Demers rose bleeding, shaky as Vera closed in for the finish. Demers found himself on the deck once again quickly, Vera overwhelming his body if not his heart, the Canadian rising again. A pelting blow from Vera forced the hand of referee Marlon Wright at 1:57 of the third.
Vera moves forward, finally back in the win column after a rugged run of foes. His consecutive losses came at the hands of three undefeated bangers. Demers again shows himself perhaps a step below the genuine world class level having been stopped previously in easy fashion by then-IBF Middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham in 2007 and suffering a split points nod to fringe player Dionisio Miranda in 2008.
Also televised, undefeated 22-year old Lightweight Tony Luis (9-0, 3 KO), 134, of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, stayed perfect and scored his third stop in four starts with a fifth round finish of 29-year old Adrian Valdez (19-8-3, 11 KO), 134, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Luis had dominated the bulk of the action through the first four rounds, punctuating his night by dropping Valdez near the ropes in the fifth. Valdez rose, barely, as referee Marlon Wright reached the count of nine but as Wright waved him forward Valdez did not respond. With Valdez corner appearing to signal the stop, Wright waved the bout off at 1:16 of the round.
Also Televised
Jr. Lightweights: Kevin Lavallee (1-0, 1 KO) KO1 Carlos Martinez (5-7, 3 KO)
The broadcast was carried in the U.S. on basic cable outlet ESPN2 as part of its “Friday Night Fights” series, promoted by Group Yvon Michel in association with TKO Boxing Promotions.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
