Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez faces off against former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux live at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona broadcasted by Showtime. At stake will be the interim WBC super middleweight belt, both Benavidez and Lemieux being ranked one and two respectively on the WBC rankings.
IT’S #BENAVIDEZLEMIEUX FIGHT WEEK
Two-time world champion @Benavidez300 takes on former world champion @lemieuxboxing in a 12-round showdown for the vacant Interim WBC 168-LB Title on @ShowtimeBoxing 5/21 at 10pm ET/7pm PT!
Fight Night Details: https://t.co/zj4o79gKta pic.twitter.com/120NTgJDkS
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) May 16, 2022
David Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOS) is a former two-time champion at 168 pounds and looks to claim the WBC strap for the third time, now in interim form. Benavidez has never lost the belt inside the squared circle, only relinquishing the belt due to weight misses and failures of drug tests. However, he is coming off back to back stoppage victories in 2021 and is now looking to start his 2022 campaign with a big fight to have a chance to regain gold as well as extend his undefeated record as the 25 year old Phoenix, Arizona native will look to once again put on a show in front of his hometown crowd.
Benavidez is often regarded as the “boogeyman” of the super middleweight division, vying for big fights against the likes of current undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, and former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant not being able to be made due to said opposition avoiding that challenge against “La Bandera Roja” Benavidez. With this bout taking place for the interim WBC title, the winner of Benavidez/Lemieux this Saturday would undeniably be the mandatory challenger for the WBC belt held by Alvarez, who would be obligated to defend or vacate the title despite the pending rematch against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
David Lemieux (43-4, 36 KOs) is a former middleweight champion looking to add to his resume a second divisional crown. Since moving up to super middleweight after struggling to make 160 lbs and losing to Billy Joe Saunders in 2017, Lemieux has been undefeated at 168 lbs, going 4-0 since his move up in weight. Now at 33 years old, this will be a very telling fight as to what the Canadian-born fighter has left in the tank to give against elite competition as he is undeniably David Benavidez’s biggest test to date. Widely regarded for his exciting knockout resume, Lemieux has made a career of putting on a show much like his Mexican American counterpart David Benavidez.
With both former champions coming to make a statement for a fight against Canelo Alvarez, this promises to be a high-powered affair with two men with a heavy set of hands who go forward.
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