Former champ calls out Spike O’Sullivan for September fight

Spike O’Sullivan [28(20)-2(1)] has been called out by former world champion David Lemieux.

The Cork middleweight fights in Las Vegas on Saturday September 15th and the Canadian puncher wants to be his opponent on the Gennady Golovkin v Canelo Alvarez rematch undercard at the T-Mobile Arena

Lemieux expressed his desire to face O’Sullivan today on Twitter, referencing the Mahon man’s own call-out back in October of last year.

Let’s go @spike_osullivan you wanted to fight me,I’m here. Don’t chicken out let’s give the fans a fight for September.

— David Lemieux (@lemieuxboxing) July 10, 2018

That call-out from O’Sullivan came following his impressive win over Nick Quigley in Boston but Lemieux did not take him up on the offer, instead challenging WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in Montreal – with Spike featuring in the chief support bout.

Lemieux was comprehensively outboxed by Saunders that night while O’Sullivan scored a breakthrough stoppage of touted American contender Antoine Douglas.

The Celtic Warriors fighter has seen his star rise exponentially since, even being in the frame to step in for Canelo in May when the initial Golovkin rematch fell through due to the Mexican’s failed drugs tests.

33-year-old O’Sullivan, instead, signed an improved deal with Golden Boy Promotions and his chief support bout in September is seen as something of a de-facto final eliminator for the WBC and WBA titles that will be defended by Golovkin in the main event.

O’Sullivan’s manager and trainer Paschal Collins has stated recently that a “big name” has been secured for the Mexican Independence Weekend fight.

This would seem to rule out Lemieux’s chances of being the man in the opposite corner.

Although, if one is to look at it cynically, with the pair being promotional stablemates, today’s ‘call out’ may be a PR move from the Canadian who could be the secured “big name” that Collins has spoken of.

A fight with the 29-year-old former champ would, no doubt, be a fireworks affair.

Lemieux [39(33)-4(2)] held the IBF title back in 2015, defeating Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam to claim the vacant red strap before losing it in his first defence – a unification with WBA champ Golovkin.

Since the loss to Saunders, the boxer of Lebanese descent has fought just once – a points win over Karim Achour, a bout for which he missed weight by a large margin.