lemieux By Dan Ambrose: #2 WBC, #5 IBF, #8 WBO, #15 WBA middleweight contender David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs) will be facing former world title challenger Gabriel Rosado (21-8, 13 KOs) in a make or break fight this Saturday, December 6th on HBO at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

This is a fight where the 25-year-old Lemieux needs to win so that he can make his move towards a world title shot. Lemieux, 5’9 ½”, previously tried stepping up a level several years ago, but he was beaten by Marco Antonio Rubio and Joachim Alchime in back to back fights.

Since that time, Lemieux has been stepped back in competition against weak opposition, and he’s done well in winning his last seven fights. Unfortunately for Lemieux, he’s not faced anyone remotely good during this time frame, and it’s difficult to tell whether even a trial horse like Rosado might be too much for him. There’s no disputing the fact that Lemieux has excellent punching power.

His power is rated highly by a lot of boxing fans. The thing that could ultimately hold Lemieux back is his lack of conditioning, his chin, and the poor opposition he’s faced. He’s been matched ever so carefully by his handlers during his seven year pro career, and it’s going to be difficult for him if Rosado is able to take him past the 7th round.

Lemieux’s handlers have done well in putting him in with Rosado, because this is a guy who twice fell apart during his career when put in with big punchers in Gennady Golovkin and Alfredo Angulo. It’s possible that Rosado will crumble early on once Lemieux starts nailing him with shots. If Rosado is able to handle Lemieux’s power and take him deep in the fight, then we could very well see Lemieux get knocked out again.

Rosado has the kind of power that will give Lemieux problems if he’s able to stick around long enough to test the Canadian fighter’s chin.

Also on Saturday’s Lemieux-Rosado card are the following fights:

Thomas Dulorme vs. Henry Lundy
James De La Rosa vs. Hugo Centeno Jr.
Eddie Gomez vs. James Winchester