Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) is still the WBO middleweight champion, having won an easy unanimous decision (120-108, 118-110, 117-111) versus David Lemieux (38-6, 33 KOs) in front of Lemieux’s home fans in Laval, Quebec. The Englishman put on a boxing clinic, controlling the distance, firing off a stiff jab, and largely flummoxing the heavy-handed Lemieux, whose basic, come-forward approach was once again of no use in a major title fight. He was whacked often off the counter, was noticeably slower, and the discrepancy in boxing skill couldn’t have been more obvious.
This was billed as a dead-even fight based on betting odds, Saunders’ underwhelming last two performances, and the knockout capabilities of Lemieux.