Now official for the Canelo vs. Jacobs undercard, with the vacant WBA super middleweight title at stake. Ryder is the WBA #1 contender and Lemieux has been sneaked into their #5 spot this month just in time... although he was previously unranked. This isn't technically his debut at SMW (he actually has completed at 168lbs half a dozen times in his career) but it will be Lemieux's first time scheduled to box in the division since he fought Marcos Reyes almost exactly two years earlier. Ryder is riding a three knockout streak and has been far more successful at 168lbs than at middleweight - losing just once at the former and thrice at the latter weight. Lemieux is coming off a blitz KO1 against Spike O'Sullivan last September down at middleweight This ought to be fun. These guys won't have to go looking for each other. Both are willing to go, and both have power and decent chins.
While John Ryder has been on an absolute rampage at Super Middleweight, massacring decent guys left and right, that has more to do with Sirotkin, Cox and Nielsen all being southpaws and open as hell for John's money punch the right hook. It's so vicious he's the only guy I've ever seen slightly rock Billy Joe Saunders, yet another southpaw. But John still struggles a little against orthodox fighters, even his match against Rocky Fielding he struggled somewhat, it was one of those 1 point either way or a draw type of matches. Granted that was his first match at SMW, so an argument can be made that he may have not found his stride. So there's always a possibility that he pull a Saunders like performance out of his ass, but that's highly doubtful. That being said Lemieux has seemed a little more vulnerable as of late, he was badly rocked several times by Saunders, which isn't a good thing, since I do think John Ryder is a heavier handed fighter. But, push comes to shove, I'll go with Lemieux, his power will probably be improved by the move up 168, he'll probably be behind on the cards, then out of nowhere manage to land the KO shot, if Nick Blackwell can, then so can David. That being said, I like them both, may the best man win.
I really like the gorilla Ryder, and I think he would put up a good fight, but he's a guy that meets his opposition head on, which is never a good idea against Lemmy. I think after getting knocked down early he will try to adjust his style and eventually lose on the cards because of it.
I like Ryder but he isn't a moving on his toes type of guy, and that's going to get you hurt against Lemmy, assuming his power comes up with him.
Conversely one might say that Lemmy does best against those he can bully (either soft of mandible or heart) and that ain't Ryder...
Interesting, when these guys were at their middleweight peaks I always thought, independently of each other "this guy is huge, wonder how it pan out if he jumped up eight pounds and fought bigger men"... Never occured to me to put them in a match-up at either weight but now in hindsight it seems like kind of a no-brainer. If this isn't one-sided in either direction it has FOTY potential.
Lemmy catches him mid to late, after probably getting outworked and outpointed for most of the fight. ryder is a good boxer but he tries to bully inside too much when he doesnt need to, lemmy then catches him.
I've always been a fan for some reason! Not the best boxer can't deal with angles, but he is a classy guy and can punch like a mac truck. Not a trash talker and respectful hard not to like.
