David Lemieux: record, next fight and profile →
After putting on a boxing clinic against David Lemieux, Billy Joe Saunders wasted no time in bringing up one of the Canadian's old tweets. Saunders successfully defended his WBO World Middleweight crown on Saturday night to win a unanimous decision.
It was a disappointing night for David Lemieux who was clearly out-boxed by Billy Joe Saunders in his attempt to win the WBO middleweight title at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, this past Saturday night. Lemieux didn't just lose, but he looked flat and listless over the twelve rounds.
Billy Joe Saunders: Saunders did exactly what he needed to do on Saturday night. Now comes the hard part. The WBO middleweight titleholder, fighting outside the U.K. for the first time, embarrassed an overmatched David Lemieux en route to an uncompetitive unanimous decision in Lemieux’s hometown in Canada.
Billy Joe Saunders knew he had several physical and mental advantages over David Lemieux before they fought. But when Saunders saw the size of the ring in which they fought Saturday night, the unbeaten WBO middleweight champion grew even more confident that he’d defeat the Quebec-based challenger in his home territory. The elusive southpaw used every bit of a ring that was larger than he expected to out-box the heavy-handed Lemieux in their 12-round championship match at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
When Billy Joe Saunders saw how his punches had affected a bloodied, beaten David Lemieux, he wanted to finish off his powerful opponent. Without trainer Dominic Ingle in his corner, that’s the instinct Saunders would’ve pursued Saturday night. Ingle instead instructed him to be patient and the skillful southpaw picked apart Lemieux on his way to a unanimous-decision win in their 12-round fight for Saunders’ WBO middleweight title at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Saunders vs. Lemieux Fight Photos Gallery - Unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders threw down the gauntlet to four-belt champion Gennady Golovkin with a systematic dismantling of David Lemieux in his North American professional boxing debut on Saturday.
As satisfying as it was to dominate David Lemieux before his hometown fans, Billy Joe Saunders suspects he hurt his chances of landing bigger fights. The unbeaten British southpaw wants big-money matchups with Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. Saunders understands that they’re likely headed toward a middleweight championship rematch May 5, but even if negotiations break down, Saunders doesn’t think Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) or Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) would face him next.
David Lemieux didn’t appear all that interested in what Billy Joe Saunders had to say to him after their fight Saturday night. The contender from Montreal wasn’t in the mood to give the unbeaten Saunders credit for his masterful performance, either. Lemieux told HBO’s Max Kellerman following his one-sided, unanimous-decision defeat to England’s Saunders that it was an injury to his left hand, not Saunders’ boxing ability and defensive skill, that prevented him from winning.
Frank Warren Video Interview - Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) outpointed hometown hero David Lemieux (38-4, 33 KOs) to retain the WBO Middleweight World Championship in the 12-round main event of HBO World Championship Boxing at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Dominic Ingle Video Interview - Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) outpointed hometown hero David Lemieux (38-4, 33 KOs) to retain the WBO Middleweight World Championship in the 12-round main event of HBO World Championship Boxing at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.