David Lemieux Scores KO of the Ages Over Curtis Stevens
By Jeffrey “Italian Medallion” Cellini
Saturday night, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, David Lemieux, 37-3, 33 KO’s scored a devastating one-punch knockout of Curtis Stevens 29-6, 21 KO’s in the third round. The scheduled 10-round middleweight bout came to an abrupt end when Lemieux backed Stevens into the ropes and connected with a flush left hook to the jaw. The 32-year-old Stevens’ body went limp as he crumpled to the floor, and referee Charlie Fitch took a quick look at Stevens and called an immediate halt to the contest at the 1:59 mark. The former title challenger from Brooklyn, was carried out of the ring on a stretcher for precautionary reasons after having been laid out flat on his back on the ring apron for several tense minutes.
“I told you before I did it,” Lemieux said to HBO’s Max Kellerman during the post-fight interview. “I told you what I was going to do. I hope he’s healthy and everything is OK”.
“Stevens is a solid fighter, so we prepared well for him. He’s a strong guy, physically strong, but nothing impressive, nothing that slowed me down. I was in great shape, I had a great camp, we have big plans ahead.”
According to CompuBox stats, Lemieux landed 67 of 120 power punches, whereas Stevens, who landed 32 of his 82 power punches thrown. Lemieux, from Montreal, Canada, was the busier, more aggressive fighter, outworking Stevens with combinations. However, Stevens, the faster of the two, was sharp and accurate with this counter punches after being outworked and buzzed in the first round. Stevens appeared to be rallying in the third as he began punishing Lemieux’s body with hard hooks. However, 28-year-old Lemieux, considered one of the division’s hardest punchers, fought back and started to pressing Stevens into the ropes, where he landed a right to the head, followed by the fight-ending left hook.
“I told you what I was going to do, and I did it,” said Lemieux. He has won three straight since suffering a TKO loss to Gennady Golovkin in October 2015 and hopes the impressive win over Stevens puts him back in the title hunt.
“You tell me if I should be back in the picture,” Lemieux told Kellerman when the commentator asked him if was back in the 160-pound mix. “The fans want to see me again because I give my all in every fight. I want to go for whoever has a title. “There’s (WBO beltholder Billy Joe) Saunders, (RING/lineal champ) Canelo (Alvarez), for sure, there’s the kingpin, Golovkin, who I would love to defeat.”
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