By Jack Tiernan: David Benavidez is predicting Saturday’s fight with David Lemieux won’t go the distance when the two KO artists meet for the WBC interim 168-lb crown on Showtime.
Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) met Lemieux (43-4, 36 KOs) with a menacing stare during their face-off on Saturday night after the two weighed in at 166 1/4 lbs for their headliner at the 19,000 seat Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The 25-year-old Benavidez can’t afford to lose this fight against the 33-year-old Lemieux if he wants to keep alive his chances of a title shot against WBC super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in 2023.
Even if Benavidez wins on Saturday, it’s improbable that Canelo will give him a chance to fight for his title.
But at least in beating Lemieux, Benavidez will possess a valuable bargaining chip to either get a title shot against Canelo or be elevated to full champion if he vacates.
KO prediction from Benavidez
“I’m just excited to be here in front of all my fans and all the people that support me,” said David Benavidez in giving his final words after Friday’s weigh-in for his battle against David Lemieux on Saturday night.
Lemieux’s biggest fights:
Gennadiy Golovkin
Gabriel Rosado
Curtis Stevens
Billy Joe Saunders
Marco Antonio Rubio
Joachim Alcine
Hassan N’Dam
Hector Camacho Jr
“This fights not going to go the distance. There’s going to be a knockout, and I’m going to walk away with that title again,” continued Benavidez.
⚖️✅ We’re officially ready for a showdown in the desert ☀️🌵
Don’t miss @Benavidez300 and @lemieuxboxing throw hands tomorrow 10pm ET/7pm PT on @Showtime pic.twitter.com/sd574rII1h
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) May 20, 2022
“I put everything into this training camp, but I only take one fight at a time. My mind and my focus is 100% on David Lemieux, and we’re just going to go in there and take this fight, and we’ll see what comes after,” said Benavidez.
With the kind of power that Benavidez and Lemieux both possess, someone is going to get knocked out in this fight on Saturday night. While Lemieux is no longer in his prime, he can still punch with major power and is capable of knocking out Benavidez if he lands cleanly.
Benavidez knows what to expect
“David Lemieux has used the same style his whole career, so I don’t think he’s going to do anything different,” said Benavidez to Fight Hub TV. “We’re just going to have to see what happens.
“He kind of does the same with everything he does. He’s just looking for the big left hook. He has a good left hook and a good left uppercut. He kind of does everything the same way. I would agree. He’s a good fighter, but he’s really basic.
“I’ve seen the Lemieux-Golovkin, Lemieux-Rosado, and a lot of his fights. I used to watch him when I was coming up, so I kind of know him already,” said Benavidez.
