David Lemieux vs Robert Talarek headlines April 17th Quebec show

Power-punching former middleweight standout David Lemieux will attempt to continue his slow climb up the super middleweight rankings on April 17th when he takes on Poland’s Robert Talarek in Quebec City. The card airs live on TVA Sports in Canada, though no USA network has yet been announced.

Lemieux (42-4, 35 KO), known for both his obscene power and long, losing battle against the 160-pound limit, saw marquee fights with Tureano Johnson and John Ryder fall through before ultimately moving full-time to 168. There, he got off the canvas twice to scrape out a split decision over Max Bursak in 2019, then returned to action last October with a fifth-round knockout of Francy Ntetu.

Though his efforts earned him cushy spots in the WBA and IBF top 5s, he’s not diving into that deep end quite yet.

Talarek (24-13-3, 16 KO) has a rather misleading record, as he’s 11-1-1 since a 2016 loss to John Ryder and was only ever stopped by Liam Smith in 2015. He’s also a fair bit taller and lengthier than Lemieux, so while Lemieux is the A-side for a reason, he shouldn’t get too cocky.

The co-feature pits local big man Simon Kean (19-1, 18 KO) against Edmonton’s Stan Surmacz. Kean took 10 rounds to put away a 43-year-old Siarhei Liakhovich in 2019, which should give you a decent idea of his upside.

“For the first time over a year on specialized television channel, fans will be able to see a boxing gala featuring local boxers and quality bouts featuring some of their favorites including David Lemieux and Simon Kean. This evening, which promises to be rich in action, reinforces our commitment and that of Eye of the Tiger Management’s to present quality boxing to fans everywhere in Quebec, “said TVA Sports General Manager Louis-Philippe Neveu.