Boxing: David Benavidez dominates David Lemieux and wins the K.-O. Tech in the third round

David Lemieux was dominated by a promising boxer in the 168-pound weight class, on Saturday, in Glendale, Arizona, when David Benavides defeated him by K.-O. Technology in the third round.

That’s how Benavidez (26-0-0, 23 KOs) won the interim WBC super middleweight title.

A good start to the first round gave way to a devastating final moment for the Quebec boxer, who was shaken hard 15 seconds before the fight.

Benavidez came close to finishing before the bell rang, signaling the end of the first round.

The local favorite chose exactly where he left off when hostilities resumed, and it only took 30 seconds for Lemieux to find himself pushed to the ground.

Once he was relieved, Montrealer showed great resilience as he continued to throw punches in desperation, but this aggressiveness ensured that he continued to absorb frequent and timely attacks from the No. 1 contender in WBC.

Both coach Mark Ramsey and the official warned of the importance of being more competitive, Lemieux (43-5, 36 KO) showed a good dose of courage at the start of the third round, but Benavides continued to charge regularly.

This is how the referee put an end to the massacre, at the request of Lemieux’s corner.

“I’m fine,” said Lemieux, wanting to be reassured after just how domineering his target was. “I have to give him that; he is an excellent boxer, quick on hands and strength. (…) I must now talk about the rest of things with my team.”

“He hit me with some good hits, especially towards the end of the first round, but I was fine to come back for the second round,” added the person who suffered the first setback at 168 pounds.

Benavidez, 25, is hoping this win will allow him to cross swords with Mexican Canelo “Saul” Alvarez on his next tour. The latter is the WBC belt holder in the category.

The clash with Jarmell Charlo is also a possibility brought up by host Jim Gray.

“I’m the best at 168 pounds, I’m sure of it,” he said in an interview after the fight.

“I must give him credit for standing on his feet, ready to take the blows. Many boxers have been tucked under the blows. But (Lemieux) is a great champion, and I give him all my respect. He’s the only one who agreed to take on me. He really is a boxer. harshAnd that motivates me to keep working on boxing. »