David Lemieux gets first real test against Hector Camacho Jr.
Unbeaten middleweight prospect David Lemieux (23-0, 22 KOs) will test himself against Hector Camacho Jr. (52-3, 28 KOs) this Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Whatever else this fight may be, it's an opportunity for Lemieux to prove to Canadians and the boxing world he is the real thing, and not just a paper prospect. Until now, Lemieux has been carefully placed against second-tier competition, and while he’s
looked stunning in his fights, they have to be called what they were: tune-ups and opportunities to build street-cred and experience.
While Lemieux’s knock-out power is undeniable, one of the things critics say needs improvement is his defence. He is an orthodox fighter that relies on his slugging power and his disciplined boxing skills to outpoint opponents. And while so far he’s been
able to do that successfully, he has yet to fight a guy that knows how to coast in the ring and weasel past knock-out directed shots.
In Camacho, Lemieux will find a fighter that was once big news in the boxing world, but pummelled out of the rankings following a couple of surprising losses. While Camacho Jr. has never been able to fulfil the legacy of his father, Hector Camacho Sr.,
he nevertheless brings with him a vast amount of experience that will make Lemieux work for his pay check. With 28 KOs, he’s also shown he can hit, so fans will be able to see what kind of chin Lemieux has.
There’s also the fact that while Camacho has three defeats to his name, they have arguably been overplayed, since he’s only been stopped once. His last loss was a 2007 bout against the unspectacular Don Juan Futrell, in which he came in overweight and simply
didn’t give a memorable performance.
It’s worth remembering, too, that Camacho boasts amateur bouts against formidable professional fighters like Ishe Smith and Zab Judah (to whom he lost). Professionally, he’s taken on former champions like Philip Holiday and Jesse James Leija. The same
can’t be said about Lemieux.
Ultimately, though, while Camacho has slippery veteran tricks up his sleeve, Lemieux has the explosiveness to put on a real magic show. He should be able to plough through Camacho without too much trouble. He’s shown devastating power and formidable speed,
as well as the discipline of a future champion. These tend to be deadly combinations. If he's able to remain relaxed and calm in the ring, which is precisely what Camacho is good at disrupting, he will dominate.
In order to win, Lemieux should look to establish the jab early on, and try to be patient with Camacho. It is highly likely he will have trouble doing this, as Lemieux is naturally an aggressive fighter, and Camacho will provoke him by fighting unconventionally
in an attempt to spoil his rhythm. Lemieux, however, should keep his composure because it is under this aspect he is most likely to control the fight. When he manages to connect with Camacho and wear him down later on, it will be more advantageous to pounce
at that point.
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