David Lemieux Bouncing Back from Golovkin Loss and Already Dreaming of a Rematch

Former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux went through several levels of hell last October when Gennady Golovkin brutally stopped him in eight rounds in front of a sold-out house at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

It was the type of defeat that can demoralize a fighter, ruin him even, but the Canadian slugger insists he doesn’t suffer any lingering physical or mental effects from that night. He’s ready to prove he can still be a force in the ring.

“Mentally, physically, everything is great. Even after the fight I was all right. I was just a bit pissed off about the decision to stop the fight when I had a plan,” Lemieux told Bleacher Report. “It was a tough fight. He’s a tough fighter, and you can’t make too many mistakes. He’ll make you pay.

“It’s boxing. We come back. Nothing was derailed. I’m still here, still strong, and I’m going to come back even stronger.”

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Lemieux’s first post-Golovkin test comes March 12 against James De la Rosa, a rugged fighter who hasn’t fought of late, at the Olympia Theatre in Montreal.

By all appearances, this is a get-healthy fight at home for Lemieux against an opponent who once scored a significant upset in a similar situation (over Alfredo Angulo in September 2014) but hasn’t fought in more than a year since being knocked out in his last bout.

Still, when the goals are to prove that you’re fully back from a devastating defeat and can once again ascend the mountain to become both a champion and a major player, there are no gimmes.

“When I’m prepared, I’m not afraid of any fighter. I’m going to be well prepared for this guy. He can bring a lot of difficulties,” Lemieux said. “I’m taking him seriously and not underestimating him. Fighters can fall into a vicious circle when they underestimate a fighter, but that’s not my thing.

“I always stay focused because I see the big picture at the end of the line.”

The big picture at the end of the line for Lemieux is the many big fights provided by competing in the middleweight division, which at present is ruled by a pair of the sport’s biggest and most marketable stars.

Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez can both make compelling and competing claims to middleweight supremacy, each with some measure of truth. They will (hopefully) meet later in the year for all the marbles.

Below that, the division is wide-open, and a former champion such as Lemieux, who has the backing of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions—which also promotes Canelo—could still have a bright future and get back on track.

He’s not worried about the latter part and hopes to find his way into the mix for a significant fight before the end of the year.

“My dream fights would be fighting the biggest guys out there. Either a rematch with Golovkin or fighting the top guys. Canelo. Whoever holds the title are the guys I’m interested in,” Lemieux said.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who Lemieux fancies above all.

He’s obviously not happy with how the Golovkin fight turned out. He feels like he was pulled out too early and without a chance to put his plan into action (I'm not sure a ton of people would agree, but he’s a fighter). He wants an opportunity to regain his title and set the record straight.

A lot of things need to fall into place for that chance to become a reality, though.

Lemieux needs to take care of business in the first step of a long haul back against De la Rosa. Anything but an impressive win won’t do if he wants to see Golovkin again.

That might seem like an odd request, given the Kazakh’s fearsome reputation and the damage he inflicted the first time around, but Lemieux has no aversion to hard work or being counted out.

It motivates him.

“It was his night that night. No excuses. We’ll come back and we’ll fight him hopefully soon. I’ve always been a hard worker. I know what it feels like to be a champion,” Lemieux said. “It’s hard work, perseverance and never giving up.

“We lost it once. We’ll get it back again.”

Kevin McRae is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. All quotes were obtained firsthand.