Via Dan Ambrose: In a #1 and #2 fight with WBC, David Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) will face David Lemieux (43-4, 36 KOs) for the interim World Boxing Council 168-lb title on May 21 at the Showtime main event at Footprint Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
ESPN reports that Lemieux, 33, and Benavidez have signed for the May 21 game.
Winner Benavidez-Lemieux will have the right to challenge WBC super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez or be elevated to full champion if the Mexican star vacates or be stripped of the belt if he refuses to face victory. .
With Canelo, you just don’t know what he’ll do for fighting whoever he wants, and he probably doesn’t like being pressured by boxing fans, sanctioning authorities, the media. or network to face certain opponents.
Lemieux is a bit of an oddity, as he is constantly being given fighting opportunities in top-flight matches despite having many defeats in the past in top-flight matches.
In recognition of his merits, Lemieux won his last five matches to claim 2nd place with WBC in 168th place. Lemieux’s victory, however, was against the mid lane opposition, not his opponents. top level.
Lemieux’s recent wins:
- David Zegarra
- Fancy Ntetu
- Maksym Bursak
- Gary O’Sullivan
- Karim Achour
As you can see from looking at this list, Lemieux hasn’t really outdone himself against the upper crust of the super-average class, has he?
However, the WBC liked what they saw of Lemieux enough in those battles to give him a #2 rating with their organization at 168. Therefore, Lemieux will out of mothballs on May 21 to face his first elite-level opponent in five years since his 12-figure one-sided unanimous decision loss to Billy Joe Saunders in December 2017 .
Benavidez will most likely take out Lemieux easily in a teamfight that ends within six rounds if I’m not mistaken. After this match, Benavidez wants to take on former world two-division champion Demetrius Andrade.
Benavidez will not get a chance to play Canelo this year as the Mexican star is scheduled to face Dmitry Bivol on May 7 and Gennadiy Golovkin on September 17.
Canelo’s third fight this year in December will be against either John Ryder or Ilunga Makabu.
“I wanted to challenge myself,” Benavidez told ESPN. “I’m tired of talking – and going back and forth with boxers who don’t want to fight. It’s a waste of time. That is a waste of energy. If a fighter wants to fight, that’s why I’m here. I’m not here to talk to people on social media. ”
