By Mike Coppinger
Gennady Golovkin might finally have a plausible, attractive opponent: David Lemieux.
In one of the very best HBO offerings of the year, the 25-year-old from Montreal delivered in just the way he needed to put him in pole position for GGG’s first bout following Martin Murray (Feb. 21 on HBO).
Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) beat Gabe Rosado (21-9, 13 KOs) from pillar to post Saturday at Barclays Center, scoring an eye-opening TKO 10 in a comprehensive performance.
Lemieux had laid a beating on Rosado – closing his left eye along the way – when Steve Willis called an end to the proceedings at 1:45 of Round 10 on the advice of Dr. Barry Jordan.
Immediately after, Lemieux made clear that he wants a crackle at Triple G.
“I wanted to put a statement here. (Peter) Quillin, Golovkin, (Miguel) Cotto -- I ain’t afraid of anybody,” Lemieux told Max Kellerman. "In order to be the best, I have to fight the best. So Gennady Golovkin, I'm not scared of him."
Finding any worthy foe for Golovkin has been a chore, as most of his victims have appeared scared. That’s not the way Lemieux fights.
Lemieux never stopped coming in his HBO premiere, but he was controlled in his pursuit of Rosado, whom he had in serious trouble as early as Round 3.
In that frame, Lemieux walloped Rosado with a left hook, then landed another such punch 10 seconds later, sending Rosado sprawling to the mat.
Lemieux rendered Rosado a one-eye fighter in Round 3, and the damage only got worse from there. The left eye was completely shut, and it appeared he couldn’t see Lemieux’s right hands going forward. The eye was a much-discussed topic pre fight, as Rosado’s had it closed and cut many times before.
Lemieux swarmed, ducking and rising with hooks in the style of Mike Tyson (with a similar haircut and trunks to boot).
Lemieux seemed well on his way to a KO victory in Round 4, as he continued to hammer Rosado with power swings. Around the midway mark, Rosado found an extra bucket of energy, and went to work on Lemieux. He pushed Lemieux around and seemed to have him in a bit of trouble. Lemieux went back and the fighters traded haymakers as the round came to a close, with the Barclays Center attendants on their feet.
In all, there were 47 power shots connected on in the round, as astounding indicator at the type of damager the pair was inflicting.
However, that was to be Rosado’s last stand. He simply couldn’t compete with one eye any longer.
“It was just difficult seeing,” Rosado admitted in a post-fight interview on HBO. “As soon as the eye puffed up, I was literally seeing three of him all the fight. Right now I can’t even see. I was just trying to counter the best I could with one eye.”
Every punch Lemieux threw had a purpose: ending the fight. That mindset will serve him well vs. Golovkin, but he would be a major underdog.
Lemieux was once among the most highly touted prospects in boxing. Then he ran into Marco Antonio Rubio and Joachim Alice, consecutive losses to pedestrian opponents.
Now with the win over Rosado, and a limited pool of opponents willing to fight GGG, Lemieux has to be considered rejuvenated and in the driver’s seat. If nothing else, it’s an opponent HBO can easily sell.
*In the opener of the Boxing After Dark telecast, Thomas Dulorme eked out a split decision win (96-93, 97-92, 93-96) over Hammerin’ Hank Lundy. Dulorme dropped Lundy in Round 1, and out-boxed him during the first half of the 10-round fight.
Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs) kept Lundy at the end of his long, rangy jab, and feasted on the smaller fighter. However, Lundy changed his game plan at the midway point, and was able to get inside Dulorme in the second half, roughing him up along the way.
Lundy (25-4, 12 KOs) had Durlorme in serious trouble in Round 10, but he was unable to put him down. Dulorme has now won two straight fights on HBO (the other vs. Karim Mayfield) after being stopped by Luis Carlos Abregu.
Considering the fan-friendly style of the fight, Lundy should be welcomed back by HBO, especially with the deep talent at 140.
*In the co-feature, Hugo Centeno blasted out James De La Rosa in a Knockout of the Year Candidate. Centeno caught De La Rosa with a counter left as he fell in -- similar to Sergio Martinez’s KO of Paul Williams – scoring the one-punch KO in Round 5.
De La Rosa (23-3, 13 KOs) earned the fight after upsetting Alfredo Angulo over the summer. Centeno now stands at 22-0 with 12 KOs, and should figure into the 154-pound title picture over the next year.
Follow Mike Coppinger on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger
