The co-main event of Saturday night’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding event on DAZN was supposed to feature former middleweight champion David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) against Tureano Johnson (20-2, 14 KOs), but Lemieux’s notorious weight-cutting problems have emerged again.
Lemieux was pulled prior to Friday’s weigh-in after suffering from reported severe dehydration. He was later taken to a local hospital.
“Due to health concerns, David Lemieux was taken to the hospital for evaluation,” Lemieux’s manager Camille Estephan said through a Golden Boy Promotions press release. “He was considerably weakened by the process of making weight. There were concerns regarding his vital signs and was immediately taken to the hospital to be in the hands of medical staff. Tests are being administered to ensure his safety and health as well as IV treatment for re-hydration. He is currently kept in the hospital hence we have taken the decision to cancel his bout.”
This is not the first time Lemieux has had a fight cancelled because of weight failures. He was 2.5 pounds over the contracted 163 lbs catchweight limit against James de la Rosa in March 2016. Earlier this year, he missed the middleweight limit against Karim Achour.
Considering Lemieux was in consideration to challenge for Canelo’s world titles at middleweight, along with the new weight-cutting rules to be instituted in 2019, it is really hard to see him fighting at 160 lbs again, which means Alvarez is probably off the table.
Also off the card is highly touted Golden Boy prospect Vergil Ortiz (11-0, 11 KOs), whose fight with Omar Tienda (19-5, 12 KOs) was yanked after the New York State Athletic Commission did not license him over pre-fight medicals. Apparently Ortiz recently underwent Lasik eye surgery, and that’s apparently a no-go in New York.
“The New York State Athletic Commission did not allow Vergil Ortiz Jr. to fight due to a rule preventing fighters who have had Lasik eye surgery from fighting,” The Golden Boy Promotions statement read. “Ortiz Jr. had Lasik eye surgery in early October and thus will not be able to fight.”
To further complicate matters, Ortiz’s opponent reportedly had his own Lasik operation, but apparently there’s a difference that would’ve made Tienda eligible for licensing!
Here is what I know from the Vergil Ortiz situation…
Vergil elected to have the Lasik operation.
His opponent had Lasik on a retina.
That’s why Vergil was removed from the card and why his opponent would have been allowed to fight.
Odd, but that’s the rules…
— Ryan O’Hara (@OHaraSports) December 14, 2018
With Lemieux vs. Johnson nixed, IBF junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer and Francisco Fonseca have been promoted to co-main event status for the Madison Square Garden show.
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