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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.
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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.”
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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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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