Coming off a thrilling first-round knockout victory, Montreal boxer and former world champion David Lemieux is gearing up for his upcoming fight at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 15.
He sat down with Global’s Laura Casella to talk about the months of preparation he’s put in ahead of his fight against Tureano Johnson.
“When I’m in the ring, I’m not human — I’m just a machine to kill,” Lemieux said.
Over the course of his two- to three-month training camp, Lemieux has been focused on competing against Johnson.
“He’s a very good fighter,” he said. After studying his opponent, Lemieux and his team gradually worked on opposition that would resemble the fight.
“It’s like the dance before the dance,” he said.
Although his preparation might be the same as before, the venue won’t be.
“I’ve had many mega fights, but this is going to be at Madison Square Garden, which is the greatest arena in the world,” Lemieux said.
“The energy there is like nowhere else. I don’t hear people; all you hear is rising waves of sounds.”
When Lemieux enters the ring, nothing else matters, he says, and he transforms into a whole other person.
“There’s no emotions. You just need to focus on your fight and destroy what’s in front of you,” he said.
With the recent knockout loss of Adonis Stevenson, which placed him in a medically induced coma, many doctors and experts have questioned the safety of boxing as a sport.
Lemieux, who has been boxing in Montreal since the age of nine, knows Stevenson personally.
“It’s devastating. It’s definitely tragic. You don’t hope something like that in any sport, especially in combat sports,” Lemieux said.
Nonetheless, he acknowledges that physical contact is part of boxing.
“Its part of the sport, and it’s rough so you’ve just got to be careful and take precautions.”
The fight, which is usually on pay-per-view, will be shown on DAZN for the first time on Dec. 15.