By Cliff Rold


25-year old Middleweight thriller David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KO), 159, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, ran over shopworn 27-year old Fernando Guerrero (26-3, 19 KO), 159 ½, of Salisbury, Maryland, in three brutally one-sided rounds.  

Lemieux was credited with four knockdowns, three a product of punches.  It was Guerrero’s second loss in three fights; all of his defeats are by knockout.  Lemieux has won seven straight, six by knockout, since suffering back-to-back losses in 2011.  

The referee was Michael Griffin.
 
In the final minute of the opening round, Lemieux got Guerrero in trouble and worked him well against the ropes.  Guerrero maneuvered away from the strands but, resuming action near mid-ring, Guerrero ate a hard left hook.  A slight delay was followed by a collapse to the floor, Guerrero clearly in trouble.  He beat the count and the bell rang before another big shot could land.
 
Things didn’t get better for Guerrero in the second.  The left hook and relentless pressure of Lemieux kept Guerrero on the back foot.  A bad cut was opened over the right eye of Guerrero and he took a knee in the corner in the closing seconds of the frame to stave off the constant assault, a right hand setting up the official knockdown. 
 
The southpaw Guerrero tried to find a dramatic left hand early in the third to change his fortune but it wasn’t working.  Fleeing the fists of Lemieux, Guerrero voluntarily took a knee for another official knockdown and pointed to his eye.  The doctor looked him over and elected to let him continue.  It didn’t last much longer, Lemieux landing a finishing right uppercut in the corner to send Guerrero down once again.  His face a crimson mask, Guerrero would not beat the count as Griffin waved it off at 1:56 of round three. 
 
Speaking after the fight, Lemieux made clear what his goals for the future are.  “I’m determined to be a world champion and remain a world champion.”  Asked specifically about facing the winner of a proposed bout between WBO Middleweight titlist Peter Quillin (31-0, 22 KO) and Daniel Jacobs (27-1, 24 KO), Lemieux said, “I would love to fight anybody in the world at 160.”

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com