Power-puncher David Lemieux will return Dec. 2; either against Cotto or someone else

Canadian power-puncher David Lemieux recently put out a tweet, in which he declared how his “tools are sharpening up and [ I am] ready to destroy soon.” It’s exciting that the former IBF middleweight champ, arguably the single hardest puncher in the sport today, pound-for-pound, is set to be back in action – even if we don’t yet know for certain who he will be facing on December 2.

But it has been reported by ESPN.com how Lemieux, 38-3(33) will fight on the New York card that will go out on HBO – whether he fights Miguel Cotto or whether he faces someone else. As fans know, Cotto will be having his very last fight in December but his opponent is still up in the air. Cotto wanted to fight the winner of the big GGG-Canelo fight, but as we all know, there was no winner. These two are now negotiating a rematch, with next May being the realistic, hoped for target date.

So it seems there is a good chance Cotto and Lemieux could hook up in what would almost certainly be an explosive battle. But if Lemieux does face someone other than Cotto, just who might his currently sharpening tools go to work on? Who would make a good dance partner for Lemieux?

Eddie Hearn, who has just signed up former WBA middleweight champ Danny Jacobs, wants to see a Jacobs-Lemieux fight, but that one is being targeted for next spring (and what a great match-up this one really is). So who could Lemieux face in December in what will be the 28 year-old’s third fight of this year?

Lemieux against Martin Murray, 36-4-1(17) would be a solid match-up. Murray, tough, experienced and still hungry, has been stopped just once – by common foe GGG. Would Lemieux’s bombs be able to get the tough Brit out of there?

Lemieux against Andy Lee, 35-3-1(24) would also be an intriguing match-up. The southpaw from Ireland returned to winning ways in March of this year and it would be exciting indeed seeing Lee’s power going up against Lemieux’s withering power.

Lemieux against Hugo Centeno Junior, 26-1(14) would be another fan-friendly affair. Centeno is coming off an explosive KO of his own – his August stoppage of the unbeaten Immanuwel Aleem seeing “The Boss” display some punching handiwork Lemieux would be happy to call his own – and it would be exciting to see which puncher got the job done.

But whoever Lemieux fights next, it will be good to see him back in action, and fans will be tuning in expecting to see yet another memorable KO.