Photo: Vincent Ethier – “Memory.”
On the evening of April 8, 2011, when I was 11 years old, I was heading to a friend’s house without any particular plans for the night. That evening, Groupe Yvon Michel was presenting the 3rd event in the boxing series “Rapide et Dangereux,” and my friend’s father had ordered it on pay-per-view.
Having never watched boxing before, I only vaguely knew of Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal by name, as they were world champions at the time. At first, when he mentioned “Rapide et Dangereux,” I thought he had rented the movie of the same name.
The Fight That Changed Everything
Everything changed when we gathered in the living room of this house in Saint-Hermas for the main event of the gala, a fight between David Lemieux and Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio.
I was quickly told that David Lemieux, then 22 years old, was on the rise with an impressive record of 25 wins, 24 of them by knockout. However, things didn’t go as expected.
Unlike most of his previous opponents, “El Veneno” refused to fall. After pounding him for several rounds, David Lemieux began to tire around the 5th round of a scheduled 12-round fight.
Eventually, taking advantage of the favorite’s fatigue, the Mexican stepped up his game and finished the job in the 7th round when Lemieux’s corner threw in the towel.
He may not have won that night, but like he often did throughout his career, he won the heart of a new fan for life, both for him and for his sport.
Perseverance and Resilience
Despite this defeat and the subsequent one against Joachim Alcine, David Lemieux did not give up.
On the contrary, big moments followed: his epic fight against Gabriel Rosado in Brooklyn, his world title win against Hassan N’Dam, his bout at the legendary Madison Square Garden against “GGG,” and his powerful knockouts of Curtis Stevens and Gary O’Sullivan.
Memories and Nostalgia
Looking back, I feel nostalgic thinking that not so long ago, we could fill the Centre Bell with 5,000 people for events similar to those we now see at the Casino.
Personal favorite: the time he fought 11 days before Christmas, in 2012, at the Bell Centre, where he entered the ring to the song ‘Little Drummer Boy’ and then massacred the poor Albert Ayrapetyan in 2 rounds.
It was with a smile even more nostalgia that I welcomed the news of the retirement of “King David”.
To close the loop, before the end of his career and over 10 years after seeing him in action against Rubio, I had the privilege of briefly meeting him as he prepared for what would be his final fight against David Benavidez.
More than a decade later, I still found him to be the coolest guy I could meet. I didn’t want to show it, but I was as excited as meeting Santa Claus in my childhood.
In short, if I write about boxing, it’s because of him, and this text in particular is for him. I draw inspiration from Luc Gélinas and his book series to say to everyone that “It’s David Lemieux’s fault” that I fell in love with boxing.
Thank you for everything, David.
Sincerely,
Noé, Punching Grace & surely thousands of others.
