By Dan Ambrose: If you were hoping that unbeaten middleweight contender David Lemieux (24-0, 23 KO’s) would finally get put in with a live body after 24 fights against B level opposition, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. On December 3rd, Lemieux, ranked #3 WBC & #3 WBA, will be taking on 37-year-old Purnell Gates (18-1, 13 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada. I’ve honestly never heard of Gates before, and in looking at the obscure opponents he’s faced in his seven-year pro career, I would give him zero chance of making it out of the 1st round against Lemieux next month.

I really don’t see how fights against over-matched opponents are helping Lemieux because he’s knocking them out early and not learning anything from the fights. Lemieux needs to learn how to move his head better, use jab and defend against shots. He’s utterly hittable and knocking out B level fighters in the 1st round won’t help him when he’s forced to got he distance against someone that can actually fight. One of these days his management will put him in with someone that has some talent and I see Lemieux not being ready when that day comes. Right now, he looks like a bottom 20 fighter to me despite having an inflated ranking by the WBA and WBC.

I actually think Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is better than Lemieux, because Chavez Jr. at least has size and hand speed and can box from the outside. Lemieux only can fight on the inside because he lacks arm length and he’s going to have problems when he’s matched against a fighter with boxing skills one of these days. This is another waste of time fight for Lemieux. He’ll win it, just like he did against an old Hector Camacho Jr. in his last fight, but it’s not helping him prepare for the better fighters that are going to likely box his ears off when his managements puts him in with one of these guys. As of now, Lemieux is totally inflated.