Montreal, Canada (March 31)…Undefeated Canadian middleweight David Lemieux (25-0, 24 KOs) is prepared to make a serious statement when he faces Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs) in a WBC middleweight title eliminator on Friday, April 8 from the Bell Centre in Montreal. The Lemieux vs. Rubio fight, which is the final installment of Groupe Yvon Michel‘s highly acclaimed FAST AND THE FURIOUS fight series, will be the main event of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights that evening (11:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
“Rubio is the best opponent I have fought to date,” said Lemieux, whose list of conquests includes Hector Camacho Jr. whom he beat in a first round knockout. “It is going to be interesting to see what Rubio brings to the table. He is a big puncher and has a lot more experience than I do. I am ready to give it my all and I am preparing for war.”
“We are excited to see David in a terrific fight that night from the Bell Centre in Montreal and we are delighted that the US boxing fans will have a chance to see him on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights,” said Yvon Michel, President of Groupe Yvon Michel. “He is a fantastic, very exciting fighter and I think this very competitive fight against Rubio will catapult him to another stage of his career. It is a terrific main event fight and a really great way to end our Fast and Furious Fight series too.”
Lemieux, who has knocked out 24 of his 25 career opponents, is in a position that most fighters dream of – he is one step away from a world title. Rubio, who has an impressive resume and brings his veteran’s experience to the ring, will be a sure test for the undefeated Lemieux. If victorious, Lemieux will be set to face the winner of WBC Middleweight Championship between Sebastian Zbik vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. taking place on June 4.
“I honestly feel that Rubio is tougher than either of the fighters I would face for the title if I win,” Lemieux continued. “I am not looking past Rubio and taking it one step at a time, but I am really looking forward to making a statement with this fight and doing whatever I have to do to get a shot at the middleweight title.”
Long before Lemieux was ranked the #2-ranked middleweight in the world by the WBC, he was a troublemaker running in the wrong circles. A self-proclaimed “Dennis the Menace,” Lemieux was kicked out of school multiple times, as his family moved from house to house, and was often found fighting in the streets. At the age of nine, a neighbor caught Lemieux smoking a cigar and offered to take him to the boxing gym in order to teach him discipline.
“Boxing saved my life,” said Lemieux. “Violence and drugs were all around me when I was growing up. If I hadn’t discovered boxing, I don’t know what I would be doing. I never would have been good at a routine desk job. I fell in love with the boxing gym, and I never wanted to leave.”
Follow David Lemieux on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/lemieuxboxing.
Become a fan of Lemieux Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Lemieux/105301672854587?ref=ts&sk=info.
Tickets: Tickets for Lemieux vs. Rubio are available now at the Bell Centre Box Office,evenko.ca or through GYM (514.383.0666) starting at $60.
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