TSS Q n A With DAVID LEMIEUX

Canadian middleweight David Lemieux squares off against Hassan N’Dam on Saturday night, June 20 at the Bell Center in Montreal for the vacant IBF middleweight title. The bout will be televised live on Fox Sports 2 at 10 p.m. ET as well as Fox Deportes and features two solid middleweight contenders vying for a shot at the next level.

TSS caught up with Lemieux as he heads toward a bout he considers the most important prizefight of his life.

The Sweet Science: This is will be your first world title opportunity. How excited are you to fight Hassan N’Dam for the IBF middleweight championship?

David Lemieux: I can’t be more excited. I can’t be more prepared. I’ve been working very hard to be where I am, and we’re ready to take on the world. This title is going to be mine, and I’m doing everything I can to make sure it’s put in the bank.

TSS: What does this fight mean to you?

DL: It’s every fighter’s dream to fight for a world title and to become a world champion. It’s what we work our whole lives for.

TSS: N’Dam is a very solid fighter. He’s a good puncher but will probably try to move around the ring on Saturday night. Are you ready to chase him down to make it your kind of fight?

DL: I’m ready for anything. I’m ready to chase him around. I’m ready to stand toe-to-toe and go to war. I’m ready to adapt to anything. I’m pretty aware of the type of fighter he is, and we’ve been planning a lot of things regarding the situation we’re going to face.

TSS: Do you think he might do something different on fight night to try and surprise you?

DL: He’s a good fighter. I cannot take him for granted. He could surprise me at any time, so we’re very cautious. I think I’ve been doing everything in the gym to make sure everything goes according to plan. People just think I’m a power puncher…but they have a lot of things to discover, and it happens each fight. This fight, I think will give people an even new perspective on me.

TSS: How do you assess your opponent, N’Dam, as a fighter? Are you worried about any one particular thing he brings to the table?

DL: I see him as a good fighter. He’s a very good fighter. But I’m not too worried about anything he does. I’ve been working on everything. My abilities are higher than his, so I’m not worried. But he’s a good boxer. He moves around good. He has power in his hands. But I’m not worried. I’m very comfortable. I’m going to go in there like a bull and it’s going to be—from the first round to the twelfth—it’s not going to be fun for him. The longer [the fight goes], the more painful. I’m going to make sure that he understands that. I think he has no clue about who he is fighting. I’m very aware of who I am fighting, but I think he underestimates me. It’s going to be painful for him in the first round. I’m not worried about anything he can bring to me. I’m just a brick wall, and I’m going to destroy. I’m ready for anything.

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