SPIKE O’SULLIVAN’S WAR of words with upcoming opponent David Lemieux continued apace during a conference call with the media on Wednesday.
The Cork middleweight faces the former IBF World middleweight champion from Montreal on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin v Canelo Alvarez II in Las Vegas on 15 September.
Spike, 28-2 (20KOs), was all set to replace Canelo and face the fearsome Golovkin back in April when the Mexican superstar’s doping violation put paid to the pair’s career-defining rematch, but trainer Paschal Collins and team withdrew from negotiations when they hit a dead end too close to fight night.
The 33-year-old Mahon man also had a tentative agreement in place to square off with Golden Boy stablemate Canelo this autumn only for the prospective big-money clash to fall foul of Canelo’s backdated suspension for the consumption of the banned substance Clenbuterol.
Instead, O’Sullivan will attempt to earn a crack at the winner of next month’s world title sequel by destroying the formidable Lemieux, who has 33 quick wins from 39, but has been stopped in half of his four career defeats.
The Irishman and Canadian, both world-ranked, arranged their fight at least partially via Twitter callout: Lemieux, 29, accused O’Sullivan of ‘chickening out’, to which the Celtic Warrior-trained Spike replied simply: “David Lemieux, challenge accepted. Be careful what you fucking wish for.”
They’ve continued to trade barbs online since. On Monday, the hard-hitting former champion warned the Leesider:
Keep talking, clown. We’ll see how smart you’re going to look when I’m gonna knock your goofy Popeye-looking ass cold.
Suffice to say Lemieux’s tweet didn’t go unnoticed, and when both men partook in a media conference call on Wednesday, Spike was quick to laugh off Lemieux’s claims.
“He talks about knocking me down and knocking me out cold; I’ve never been down on the canvas in my career,” he said.
“He has been knocked down several times, he’s lost to all different styles of fighters.
David had his chance against Golovin and he got destroyed, and I think he’s going to get destroyed again on 15 September. Lemieux is going to be an easier fight for me than [Antoine] Douglas — there’s no doubt about that.
Yeeeesssss!
— eir Sport (@eirSport) December 17, 2017
What a performance from @spike_osullivan! #SaundersLemieux pic.twitter.com/ah9d86mLEU
Discussing another one of Lemieux’s defeats — this to mutual conqueror Billy Joe Saunders, now a friend of Spike — the Rebel rouser labelled Lemieux’s complaints of a shoulder injury “crap,” and said that, upon reflection, he wasn’t surprised the Briton was able to defend his WBO world title with such ease against the concrete-fisted Quebecer.
“I think it’s just an excuse, to be honest,” said O’Sullivan.
“I had a good feeling that he (Saunders) would beat him, but I didn’t think he’d beat him as convincingly as that. I thought Lemieux, being a former world champion, was a better fighter. Prior to that fight, I thought he was better than that.
“I didn’t know a great deal about him, and the more I look into him — and obviously I’m fighting him now, so I’ve watched back a lot of his fights — I’m not surprised Billy Joe kind of beat him like that.
Look at David. He doesn’t look like a guy that trains like I do. He tires easy in a lot of his fights. I don’t think he lives right and he doesn’t train as hard as I do. And I don’t think he can win his fight.
Saunders has set Spike up with some of the same sparring partners as those who he used to replicate Lemieux’s style last year.
But Lemieux, who himself is eyeing a shot at the winner of Golovkin-Canelo II, didn’t take O’Sullivan’s comments sitting down.
“This fight is definitely going to go my way,” he said. “You guys watch and see.
I’m going to make Spike eat all his words. Don’t worry, I’m going to beat your ass, it’s not going to be no walk in the park. I’m not coming here to lose, I’m coming to destroy you. Don’t take me lightly, keep working hard in the gym, you’re going to need it.
“This fight is going to get me back on top so I’m preparing myself for that. Going back the last few years, I’ve been working against a lot of injuries. They’ve been put in the past. I’m in tremendous shape and I’m feeling great.
“I can use both my hands, I can use everything; all my tools. I think Lemieux is back and I’m about to demonstrate what I’m about. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised what I bring to the table.”
Not to be deterred by Lemieux’s warning nor his supposed return to form, O’Sullivan concluded:
I’m going to steal the show in spectacular fashion. I’m going to obliterate him. Nothing personal, you’re just in my road. I’m sorry, but you’re in my way.
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