There's been a major change to the Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding card at Madison Square Garden.
David Lemieux was supposed to fight Tureano Johnson in a middleweight bout as the co-main event fight to the December 8 card on DAZN. According to Chris Mannix, the fight is now called off due to Lemieux suffering weight-related dehydration, marking the latest chapter in Lemieux's struggles to make weight. In its place in the co-main event is the IBF super featherweight title fight between Tevin Farmer and Francisco Fonseca.
David Lemieux is off Saturday’s #CaneloFielding show on @DAZN_USA, multiple sources tell @SInow. Per source, Lemieux is suffering from weight related dehydration. Tevin Farmer-Francisco Fonseca has been bumped up to the co-main event.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) December 14, 2018
Lemieux, a former middleweight world champion, has had weight issues the last couple of years. Lemieux was scheduled to fight at 160 pounds in a fight back in May, but Lemieux missed weight and so the contest got re-worked into a catchweight bout. Lemieux was planning to move up to super middleweight and was even briefly ranked in the WBC's top 15 at 168 pounds. Prior to that, Lemieux weighed in 2.6 pounds over the contract weight for a 2016 fight against James de la Rosa.
But then Lemieux was booked to fight Gary O'Sullivan on September 15 in a title eliminator for the WBA "super" middleweight title, currently being held by Alvarez. Lemieux won the fight by first-round knockout to become the No. 1 contender for the title.
Fightful will have live coverage of the entire card, taking place at Madison Square Garden. The entire card will be streamed on DAZN in the United States and Fightful will have a live post-show podcast.
