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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
David Lemieux: "June 20th
Will Be A Magical Moment For Me"
By: Daniel Cloutier
Photos: Robert Lévesque
MONTRÉAL - The Montrealer David Lemieux is like a hungry
lion in a cage now. He is just waiting to see the cage’s
door open to jump on his prey. He is so impatient to be in
the ring to face the French Nissan N’Dam N’Jikam for the
vacant IBF middleweight (160 pounds) championship of the
world, a 12 rounds bout which will be presented June 20th in
the ring of the Bell Centre in Montréal. He knows he is
about two weeks to live the most crucial minutes of his
boxing career.
“Yes, I am extremely hungry and impatient now, said Lemieux.
June 20th will be a magical moment for me. I will dispute
the first world championship of my career, and this most
important moment off my life will happen in front of my
fans. It will be huge! Extremely exciting. Believe me, I
will do the necessary to be sure my fans will be very proud
of me. Some boxing fans believe I am not ready for this kind
of challenge, but, obviously, I am not agreeing with them. I
am positive I am now enough mature to be in the world
champion shoes. I made incredible progress since two years
with Marc Ramsay (his trainer). I still a destroyer puncher
like you know, and never I have been so efficient
technically and strategically. I proved it December 6th at
the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, when I beat clearly Gabriel
Rosado (TKO in the 10th round). I will use all my weapons to
beat N’Jikam June 20th, and no doubt, I will reach my goal.
More the big moment is close, more I believe I will demolish
him, I will beat by KO. I am pretty sure N’Jikam is
underestimating me.”
Lemieux (33-2-0) knows that N’Jikam got his only defeat
(31-1-0) October 20th 2012 at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn,
where he lost by unanimous decision against the WBO
middleweight champion of the world, the New Yorker Peter
Quillin (31-0-1). N’Jikam, a fighter from Cameroon living in
France, survived to six knockdowns that night. Not one, six!
“N’Jikam survived to six knockdowns against Quillin, but
trust me, he won’t have the same luck against me, said
Lemieux. If guess Quillin was trying to knock him out, but
he failed and he has been obliged to accept a win by
decision of the judges. I won’t. I said it and I will repeat
it: I know N'Jikam will finish the bout on the canvas… and
he gonna stay on the floor for the count of 10.”
On his side, N’Jikam has the conviction Lemieux will leave
the ring sad and frustrated. “Lemieux is not realistic if he
believes seriously he will beat me, said the African fighter
to the French journalists few days ago. Lemieux has not my
talent and my maturity. I will certainly dominate him with
my speed, mobility and experience. And if Lemieux believes
seriously he can hurt me or knock me out because Quillin
floored me six times in October 2012, he is mixing fiction
and reality. I mentioned it recently; I was not in shape
when I faced Quillin in Brooklyn. I was not energetic at
all. I got the offer for this WBO world championship bout
with Quillin only three weeks before the event. It was a
mistake to not reject this offer at that moment. But trust
me, you will see the real Nissan N’dam N’jikam in action in
Montréal. I am perfectly prepared this time. I got a real
training camp this time. I am positive I will dominate the
action and leave the ring with the IBF middleweight belt
around my neck… and Lemieux will leave the ring sad and
frustrated!”
Lemieux was participating to a public training session
Friday afternoon on Crescent Street in Montréal downtown,
around the Formula One Grand Prix festivities. This race,
the seventh of the F-1 season, was Sunday afternoon at the
Notre-Dame Island, just beside the Montréal downtown.
Marc Ramsay believes this fight with N’Jikam will be a big
challenge for his fighter, but he still more than confident
to see him win. “N’Jikam is not an easy opponent, no doubt
about it, said the Montrealer trainer. He has a lot of
skills. However, I really believe David has now the weapons
to beat him. David will have to fight with intensity,
discipline and concentration. During the last two months of
training, David proved me day after day he can achieve
what’s I am expecting from him. David knows this is the most
significant fight of his career, the most important moment
of his life, than, I am sure he will fight like he got to do
it to become IBF champion of the world. David is so
determinate.”
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