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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
John David Jackson: "Curtis Is A More
Complete Fighter Than Lemieux"
By Daniel Cloutier
VERONA, New York — John David Jackson, Curtis Stevens
trainer, did not fall out of his chair when he heard David
Lemieux said he will beat Stevens by KO or TKO Saturday
evening in the ring of the Turning Stone Casino in Verona,
New York.
Lemieux (36-0-0), a Montrealer, and Stevens (29-5-0), a New
Yorker, will fight in the main event of a HBO Boxing After
Dark boxing show. They will face in a WBC middleweight
Americas Continental championship and a WBO Intercontinental
championship.
“No doubt in my mind, Lemieux is the most dangerous puncher
to face Curtis so far,” said Jackson. “I really believe that
Lemieux is actually one of the 10 most powerful punchers
pound for pound in the world. However, I really think that
Curtis is going to win Saturday evening, not only because he
is a solid chin, but he is a more complete fighter than
Lemieux. Curtis is a solid puncher himself, and technically,
he is certainly superior to Lemieux. I know, because i saw
Lemieux in action several times, and I am working with
Curtis day after day. Curtis got a marvellous preparation,
technically and physically, and I am sure he will offer us a
superb performance Saturday evening at the Turning Stone
Casino. I am not worried at all.”
If Lemieux has the ambition to face the Mexican Saul Canelo
Alvarez (48-1-1) in a mega fight next year, Stevens has
exactly the same ambition. “Yes, Curtis is extremely
motivated to face Alvarez, then, he knows it’s crucial for
him to win Saturday evening,” said Jackson, “I know he will
fight intensively and intelligently from the beginning to
the end of the bout Saturday, to get out of the ring in the
winner’s corner. He has so big ambitions for 2018.”
Lemieux is actually ranked third contender by the WBC… but
Stevens is ranked second. Lemieux is also ranked sixth
contender by the IBF and fourth by the WBO. Stevens is
ranked eight by the WBA, fifth by the IBF and 10th by the
WBO in the 160 pound division.
Last May in Las Vegas, Lemieux got a great exposure on the
international boxing scene when he beat Glen Tapia (23-3-0),
from New Jersey, by TKO in the fourth round. We asked to
Jackson if he got the chance to get information from Tapia
about Lemieux.
“No, I did not talk to Tapia about Lemieux,” said Jackson.
“I did not need to hear that Lemieux is a powerful puncher…
I know it. Anyway, I don’t think it would be so helpful for
us to converse with Tapia. Curtis has certainly better
skills than Tapia.”
At his last two bouts, Stevens scored significant wins. Last
November at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he won by
unanimous decision against the Mexican James De La Rosa
(23-5-0), and last May, also in Las Vegas, Stevens became
the first fighter to beat the Brazilian Patrick Teixeira.
Stevens beat Teixeira (26-1-0) by TKO in the second round.
At his last two fights, Lemieux beat Tapia, and the
Argentinian Cristian Fabian Rios (21-8-3) by unanimous
decision.
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