Eye of The Tiger Management held a press conference to announce the next opponent for IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux. Photos by Robert Levesque/Photo Zone Sport.
The hard puncher will face Argentine fighter Cristian Fabian Rios on October 22nd at the Bell Centre in Montreal. For Lemieux (35-3, 32 KOs), it will be his first fight since his stoppage win over Glen Tapia in May at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Rios (21-7-3, 6 KOs) has never been stopped. He went to six round draw with countryman Jorge Sebastian Heiland in 2012, and lost a ten round decision to British contender Tommy Langford last year. On paper, however, he has never faced a fighter of the caliber of Lemieux.
Lemieux and Eye of the Tiger Management president, Camille Estephan, have nevertheless admitted that it was in preparation for a “major fight” in December.
“We chose a southpaw, especially for the road to a belt, Estephan said at a press conference confirming the fight against Rios on Tuesday. I think it is not difficult to understand that we have in mind some English southpaw boxer for the next fight.”
That boxer being WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders. And to hear the Lemieux clan, everything seems in place for a world title fight between the two men before the end of the year.
But for now Lemieux must avoid being complacent against Rios.
“I want my belts, but first I have to focus on Rios said Lemieux. He is very solid. He had a draw against (Jorge Sebastian) Heiland (March 2012). “Heiland is presently WBC International champion.
“I want to give the best of myself, the best show for the fans,” he added.
The fight between Lemieux and Rios will be contested at 164 pounds, and the December bout would be at 160 pounds, the limit for a middleweight championship fight.
In the semifinals Gala on Oct. 22, Montrealer Steven Butler (17-0-1, 14 KOs) will face Albertan Janks Trotter (10-3-1, 10 KOs) and will try to get his hands on the IBF North American title.