Billy Joe Saunders retained his WBO Middleweight belt on Saturday night in Quebec, Canada. His opponent ,David Lemieux, may have been fighting in front of a home crowd, but the Place Bell indoor arena could do nothing about their compatriot being utterly dominated by the Hertfordshire southpaw. Now Gennady Golovkin is in the Englishman’s sights.
The three judges in Laval, Quebec’s fourth largest city, scored the fight firmly in Saunders favour. 120-108, 117-111, 118-110. If anything, the latter two scores were kind to Lemieux, who didn’t get any genuine opportunity to utilise his known power on Saunders, such was his opponents masterclass in footwork and body movement.
Saunders counter-attacking had Lemieux under control. At one point Lemieux couldn’t get near Saunders with a right hook. Lemieux swung with purpose and power, but Saunders lent his upper body backwards and Lemieux’s fist swung into the night air. Saunders then stopped, stood, and placed his right hand over his forehead, mimicking someone looking deep into the crowd.
This was half-way through the fight, and it said everything. It said that Saunders was enjoying himself. That he was dominant and knew he was in control. It can only of hurt Lemieux’s pride and Saunders certainly didn’t endear himself to the home crowd with his mockery. But it said everything about the way the fight was going. Saunders gave one of the most accomplished, controlled fights of his 26-fight professional career.
Telling the home crowd “I know you’re booing me because I whipped your fighter’s ass, but that’s boxing”, the home support may not have appreciated some of his showmanship. However they will have known they had witnessed a fine technician in action.
The Champ dodges a big right hand then looks out into the crowd to see where it landed!
They are not impressed!
#SaundersLemieux
Lemieux was outclassed; his excuse of an injury to his left hand, hindering it inoperative, may have been true, but smacked of not accepting the victory with grace. Privately though, he must know he was second best all night. Saunders movement meant he couldn’t get close to him. A fully functioning left hand, wouldn’t have done much to change that.
For Saunders, he now has Lemieux and Canada in his rear-view mirror. And he made it clear in the aftermath, what he wanted to happen next.
“Golovkin, you kept saying you want my WBO belt when I was 14 stone, out of shape and wasn't in love with boxing, Then you wanted to fight me. Fight me now. Now fight me, ‘cause we'll be seeing a different story. You'll be punching fresh air.”
Golovkin holds the WBA, WBC, IBO and IBF titles. Saunders is now giving the Kazakhstani the opportunity to unify his belts with the WBO title, which he has now defended three times since he won it from Irishman Andy Lee in 2015.
Golovkin is more likely to be heading into a May showdown with Canelo Alvarez in May in Las Vegas. So Saunders may have to bide his time to await the outcome of that bout. Regardless of the victor of that match-up, Saunders has shown he is worthy of stepping into the ring with either man. Regardless, 2018 could be a massive year for Billy Joe Saunders.
