David Lemieux returns to the ring against Joachim Alcine on 12/10

By Boxing News - 11/30/2011 - Comments

Image: David Lemieux returns to the ring against Joachim Alcine on 12/10By Dan Ambrose: Number #3 ranked WBC middleweight contender David Lemieux (25-1, 24 KO’s) returns to the ring on December 10th against 35-year-old former WBA World light middleweight champion Joachim Alcine (32-2-1, 19 KO’s) in a scheduled 12 round bout at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada. Lemieux, 22, will have his WBC International middleweight title on the line for the fight, although I doubt that Alcine cares too much about winning that title.

This is Lemieux’s first fight back since being rudely stopped in the 7th round by Marco Antonio Rubio last April. Lemieux had no clue what to do against the much experienced 31-year-old Rubio after he failed to collapse in the first couple of rounds like most of Lemieux’s poor opposition had. Lemieux’s handlers were taking a big risk in moving him up from the 2nd tier opposition that he had been brought along with and putting him in with a top five contender. It didn’t make sense and it came back to bite Lemieux’s management hard in the backside when Lemieux punched himself out in the 6th round and was stopped in the 7th.

Lemieux’s trainer pulled the plug on the fight with Lemieux still on his feet but just getting the stuffing beaten out of him by Rubio. It should have been a learning experience, something that taught Lemieux’s management that he needs to learn how to fight by putting him in with guys with a tough chin and some skills that won’t just fold at the first sign of aggression. But what do we see here, Lemieux is being matched up with Alcine, a fighter that was blown out in one round by Alfredo Angulo. last year in July, and who struggled to an eight round draw in his last fight against someone named Jose Medina (14-9). And so it continues. Lemieux will likely KO Alcine in or two rounds, and he’ll learn nothing from having done it.

Lemieux’s handlers need to move him down in weight at least one division. He’s listed as 5’10 1/2″, but the 5’10” Rubio was towering over Lemieux last April in their fight and looked to be at least two inches taller than the Canadian. While some boxing fans won’t be able to understand the importance of this what is important because a 5’8″ middleweight is just too short for the division. Lemieux looks to be just a little bit taller than Miguel Cotto, and there are so many large middleweights out there that would given Lemieux terrible time if and when Lemieux’s handlers decide to start matching tough again. He’s going to have problems. He’s got those T-Rex arms and that’s going to be something hold him back, because he doesn’t have long arms to make up for his lack of height. That’s why I think Lemieux needs to move down at least one division, preferably two. He’d be much better off at welterweight than at junior middleweight or middleweight. He could be Canada’s version of Miguel Cotto when he was fighting at welterweight. But if he stays at middleweight, I see nothing but failure in the future when they finally match him tough again.



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