It was no surprise to hear David Lemieux was hospitalized on Friday following crazy attempts to still make the middleweight limit.
Back in May, WBN reported the Lemieux looked badly gaunt after a shocking weigh-in for a clash with Karim Achour.
Manager Camille Estephan promised Lemieux fans this would be the last time he’d compete at 160. It proved not to be the case as Lemieux continued to hold out for a promised fight with Saturday’s headliner Canelo Alvarez.
Just as Lemieux was on the verge of facing Canelo next May, this latest episode has gone down. Sadly, it’s been on the cards for some time.
The ex-world champion has consistently diced with his health. And for his own good, HAS TO MOVE UP to at least the super-middleweight limit.
For the Achour fight, Lemieux was two pounds over the limit for the contest. The fight went ahead and somehow, Lemieux made it through twelve rounds.
With the help of a nutrition specialist, Lemieux recently hit 160 for his clash with Gary O’Sullivan in September. This time around it’s all caught up with him.
168
Estephan’s previous worries seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The Eye Of The Tiger Management head stated: “There is every reason to believe that his protégé (Lemieux) will henceforth have to fight in a higher division.
“David has respected his diet in the letter. He has done everything he has to do to be in Measuring the balance at 160 lbs.
“We have seen him suffer in the last few days at the gym to reach this weight which is now hard to reach for him.
“The Health of our fighters has always been a priority for us. It would be inconceivable to see David reliving such a situation for each of his upcoming fights.”
Why Lemieux didn’t follow Estephan’s words is a mystery and part of the reason the French-Canadian is set to miss out of a purse to fight Tureano Johnson.
His only Canelo hope now is that the Mexican agrees to face him at 168 on May 4.
