Quebec boxer David Lemieux announces retirement

Quebec boxer David Lemieux is retiring from competition, his management team announced Saturday.

Lemieux, 33, ends his career with a 43-5-0 record – with 36 victories by knockout.

Among his notable accomplishments, the Laval boxer defeated Gabriel Rosado in December 2014 in his first fight on HBO, earning the NABF belt in the process.

In June 2015, he earned the IBF world title against Hassan N’Dam at Montreal’s Bell Centre, knocking his opponent down four times.

Four months later, at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Lemieux took on the greatest challenge of his career, going up against middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Lemieux lost by technical knockout in the eighth round.

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career, I fulfilled my dream of becoming world champion, I took part in entertaining fights for the fans and never backed down from challenges,” Lemieux said in a statement.

“So I take this opportunity to thank all my fans who supported and cheered for me over my long career.”

Lemieux’s last fight was a defeat by technical knockout against David Benavidez on May 21 in Glendale, Ariz.

Lemieux’s father, André Fernand Lemieux, was one of the victims in a series of three murders within 24 hours in Montreal earlier this month. He was 64 years old.

On Aug. 1, Lemieux and his partner, former Olympic diver Jennifer Abel, shared a photo online of their boy Xander, who is now three months old.

This Canadian Press story was published in French and translated by CityNews.