Mark Ramsay, coach of Canadian ex-world champion David Lemieux (43-5, 36 KOs), commented for
Radio Canada his decision to throw in the towel during the third round of the ward’s fight against American David Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) last weekend.
“When Lemieux returned to the corner after the first round, I could see that he could hear what I was saying very well,” says the coach. “I gave him some technical clarifications and saw that he was still lucid. However, I felt that there was a problem with his legs. He just couldn’t get out of range or attack properly. He took the punches from Benavidez without any adequate defense.”
After the second 3-minute, in which the Canadian was knocked down and actually beaten, Ramsey warned that he was giving him one more round to turn the tide of the fight. The referee also went to the Canadian corner and called for something competitive.
“In a boxing match, you stop everything when there are no more options to turn the tide,” said Mark. “There is nothing left but risk. When I saw that David’s (Lemieux’s) punches no longer carry the same power and that he can no longer defend himself, there was no point in continuing.”
Meanwhile, Benavides’ promoter addressed the media: “Stop fantasizing about Canelo.”
