Next Friday Canadian protégé David Lemieux puts his unblemished 25-0(24) record on the line when he faces grizzled Mexican veteran Marco Antonio Rubio 49-5-1(42) in a WBC Middleweight title eliminator. It’s a huge step up in class for Lemieux, who so far has only been past 5 rounds once in his career that has seen him complete just 55 rounds of pro action. However he’s a young man in a rush, though he knows Rubio won’t be easy “Rubio’s a very dangerous fighter, he’s a big puncher, he’s got quite an awkward style. He’s been in the ring a lot, he’s a veteran, he knows what he’s doing” he remains confident in his own abilities and thus see’s only one outcome “I’m very well prepared. I’m stronger than Rubio and I’m coming in to win”. He believes he’s destined to achieve big things in the ring and hopes to prove his legion of fans correct in their prophecy of him being one of the leading candidates to bring some new life to the stagnant Middleweight division. For Lemieux he see’s Boxing as a gift and wants to be more than a champion he wants to be an entertainer who can have crossover status. A win over Rubio in front of his home fans in Montreal would be another step in the right direction for the precocious youngster.
Hello David, welcome to 15rounds.com
Anson Wainwright – You fight next on 8 April against Marco Antonio Rubio in a WBC title eliminator. What are your thoughts on that fight and what do you think of Rubio?
David Lemieux – My thoughts on the fight, Rubio’s a very dangerous fighter, he’s a big puncher, he’s got quite an awkward style. He’s been in the ring a lot, he’s a veteran, he knows what he’s doing. It’s going to be an Interesting fight but I’m very well prepared. I’m stronger than Rubio and I’m coming in to win and to look great.
Anson Wainwright – You are widely thought of as the best young fighter in Canada and fight in front of big crowds. What can you tell us about your popularity? Do you do any commercials, TV work etc?
David Lemieux – Yeah, they’re actually about to start a show on me, a little documentary and maybe move up to bigger channels and do a 24/7 type show, we’re working on that. I’m on TV quite often and the media always talks about me. Yeah I’m quite popular here, people know my name. I’m there young hot prospect coming up, so they’ve got to support me. I’m 25 and 0 with 24 knock outs. I always look good when I go in the ring; I give them what they want.
Anson Wainwright – So far in your career you have stopped all but one of your opponents. What can you tell us about your power?
David Lemieux – I think I’m a very powerful puncher probably one of the top pound for pound punchers in the world. I believe anybody I hit I will knock out; I believe I can do a lot of damage. I work a lot on different things but my power has always been there and has been natural.
Anson Wainwright – In your pro career you’ve only boxed 55 rounds, how far do you feel you are from challenging the likes of WBC champion Sergio Martinez?
David Lemieux – Actually I’m ready anytime now. I could be ready for him (Martinez). I like his style, he’s a good fighter but I believe I have the ability and the technique to beat him. But right now we’re concentrating on the Rubio fight and then we’ll talk about whether they want to fight me. I have no problem fighting these guys.
Anson Wainwright – What do you think of some of the other champions and big names WBA Felix Sturm, IBF Sebastian Sylvester & WBO Dmitry Pirog? How about Kelly Pavlik & Daniel Jacobs?
David Lemieux – Yeah actually it’s a very active division. I would like to fight Sturm; I would like to fight all the big names, whoever they have for me. If it’s a good deal we’ll fight. I’m not scarred of anybody. I don’t go in with any hesitation when I’m getting ready for a fight no matter who It is I’m ready to fight and win. So Martinez, If It’s Pavlik, Sturm, Zbik, Chavez Jnr, Pirog whoever I’ll fight and I’ll beat them.
Anson Wainwright – What was it like for you growing up in Quebec, did you have the usual tough upbringing many fighters do?
David Lemieux – When I was young I used to have a lot of problems. I’m talking about a young age 8, 9, 10 I used to come home with the police, get locked up in a child facility for maybe a few months, a year or so. When I was younger used to cause a lot of vandalism, not come home, I used to always cause trouble. So I’ve been kicked out from a lot of schools from a young age and had a lot of problems. But then when I got into Boxing it saved my life, It turned everything around. I started to be disciplined; I went to the gym all the time. I didn’t want to get thrown out of the gym because Russ Anber my coach would tell me If I get into problems you will get kicked out of the gym and I didn’t want to get kicked out of the gym so I became careful at what I did. I got a lot of discipline and started on the right road and here I am now.
Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your amateur career, what titles did you win and what was your final record?
David Lemieux – In the amateur’s I won a few things, 3 times National Champion, a few International fights. I think I had 72 fights, maybe 12 loses the rest were victories. I never had a huge amateur career like most guys, I was always the professional type of fighter, I never had that style. I didn’t want to stay in the amateurs to long. I was always practicing a professional style like the guys I was growing up with Otis Grant, Hercules Kyvelos all the guys were pro’s and I wanted to be there fast. So when I turned 17 I wanted to go pro right away but my coach told me to wait a year and go slowly. At 18 years old we turned pro.
Anson Wainwright – Instead of going to the 2008 Olympics you decided that your future was in the pros and turned over in 2007. Can you tell us more about this?
David Lemieux – Hell no! I never liked the amateur’s; I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. The type of fighter I am, I’m a slow starter. In the amateur fights I never had the opportunity, especially International fights you get to fight the better guys, they score they hit and run. I would want to do what I could but It (The distance of the fight) was short. I didn’t like that so I wanted to turn pro as soon as I could. Because my style didn’t match the amateur’s, now in the pros I can do what I want to do. I’m starting to fight 12 rounds I’ve been doing a few 12 rounds fights and I’ve got time and I’m a power puncher, so it’s perfect for me. I’m like a ticking time bomb! Haha
Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us a bit about yourself as a person away from Boxing, what do you enjoy doing to relax?
David Lemieux – I’m actually a very simple guy. I like being around my girl, going out this and that but not drinking, no nightclubs. I like to keep things quiet. Being with friends. I like going on vacation, I love travelling so whenever I don’t have a big fight coming up I like to go down south, Cuba, Miami, wherever.
Anson Wainwright – Who are the members of your team, your manager, trainer, promoter & what gym do you train at?
David Lemieux – My promoter is Yvon Michel, I’ve been with him since the beginning. My coach has been Russ Anber since I was 9 years old, he’s also my manager. He’s known Internationally, he’s a very good coach. There’s a new guy who takes care of my sponsorship his name is Anthony Aquino. Pedro Luis Diaz the Cuban coach that trained Odlanier Solis for the Heavyweight title fight with Klitschko. I have a very good team that we can go very far with. I train at Ring 83.
Anson Wainwright – Do you have a Nickname?
David Lemieux – No I don’t have a nickname. People tend to give me nicknames but I don’t stick with them. They call me “Hello, Goodnight” Haha the Knockout artist. But I’m not into nicknames, people who know me give me whatever they want. But no when I go in the ring I don’t have a particular nickname.
Anson Wainwright – When did you decide you wanted to make a living out of Boxing?
David Lemieux – After I won the Nationals when I was 15, I thought I like this. Then I turned pro and I had my winning streak, I thought “Yeap, this is what I want to do for a good part of my life”.
Anson Wainwright – What are your goals in Boxing?
David Lemieux – I wish I could go to Heavyweight! Haha I’m going to be a Middleweight for I don’t know how long then I’m going to jump to Super Middleweight. I want to win the Middleweight title defend it and go to Super Middle and win that and hopefully everything goes good, stay healthy and keep winning. I want to be a champion for a long time. I want to be crowd pleasing, to come see me. I don’t just want to be a world champion; I want to be a great entertainer. I want them to love watching me fight even if there not Boxing fans. I want to attract all types of people when I fight, I love to give motivation. A lot of people outside of Boxing who tell me they love to watch my fights because of the way I fight and how explosive I am. There really intrigued by that and also there are a lot of woman who like to watch me fight! Haha
Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?
David Lemieux – Thank you very much for your support, keep watching because I’m going very far.
Thanks for your time David.
Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com
Random Musings – It’s never quiet with Bernard Hopkins, over the years he’s been involved in some crazy scene’s at press conference’s & weigh in’s. Earlier this week, he was subdued by his normal standards when Jean Pascal blew his top http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UImI4JjWj9Y Previously he nearly started a riot in Puerto Rico before the Trinidad fight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr1eTEUPp8E&feature=related think back to the hand he put in Winky Wright’s face http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kHVxuVYVLE or how about how his remarks to Joe Calzaghe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NowwnTx0cU&feature=related
Hopkins is a one off athlete; it’s truly amazing that he’s still going at 46. If you think through the various sports in the world and who is still competing at the highest levels at such an advanced age in any sport let alone one as rigorous taxing as prizefighting. His mastery of the mental part of the game is legendary; you’re never sure what you’ll get with the loquacious Hopkins. He’s the last of a dying breed.
