WOODS: I WAS QUITE IMPRESSED BY DAVID LEMIEUX

Like just about everyone else, and their brother, Yvon Michel, promoter of middleweight riser David Lemieux, whose stock ticked up like Jim Cramer touted him on Saturday night, gave the Mohawked Canadian high marks for his W over Gabe Rosado.

“Lemieux proved the Marco Antonio Rubio fight (in 2011) was just an accident on his career path,” Michel told me Monday morning, “and he should not be stigmatized anymore for that. At almost 26–he turns 26 on Dec. 22–he showed he is no longer a project, but a mature man with ice in his veins. He still has to improve in some aspects of his game, but he is a world contender, afraid of no one who will be a threat for any champion!”

I really dug the relaxed confidence Lemieux showed inside the ring in Brooklyn and after, as we chatted for a Boxing Channel hit. He seems to truly want to sign on to meet the best and brightest, the Golovkins, Cottos and Canelos, so I’m going to take him at his word and believe he’ll go after those XL targets as he states he wants to. Some Twitter managers are thinking he should go slow, edge up from a Rosado level test to a B plus hitter…but I think who are these Twitter experts, and who am I to tell a kid to slow down, not be ambitious?

I asked Michel if Lemieux will take on a Golovkin next, or dial back, to a less fearsome opponent?

“He is always going to be spectacular, with his fan-friendly style, his boyish and handsome look, and his charisma. He will make his mark in the game! I have to sit down with manager Camille Estephan and David, see what they wish to do, analyze opportunities and make the call. Now he needs to rest his hands,” said the Canadian-based dealmaker, who also handles Adonis Stevenson, with a chuckle. “But you know, David is very ambitious!”

Lemieux hinted to me after the bout that his right hand was off so I asked Michel about that. “Going in, he had a bad right hand, under control of medical personal, not to be pulled out of the fight, but enough to be concerned.”

Indeed; I expected the left hook and left-hand heavy Lemieux to shift and use the right more to target Rosado’s compromised left eye, but I didn’t see so much of that. Now we know why…

“After the fourth he was not able to put power behind the right hand,” Michel said. “Watch the fight again and you will notice he over-used the left hook from that point on. I’m not sure how much healing time he will need, but nothing is broken.”

Nah, something is…the categorization where Lemieux was. He conjured excitement and impressed me mightily, beyond expectations, in Brooklyn. I liked his pop, his stamina, his chin, his patience, the fact that he didn’t get flustered by the bum right hand and didn’t betray any weakness…lots to like there.

Oh, and want something more to like? The kid didn’t go out partying after the victory.

“He went back to the hotel to be with his girl friend and his two year old son, Leon,” Michel reported. “And we will go back to Brooklyn any time!”

Readers, your thoughts on what you’d like to see Lemieux do next? How bout an early summer tangle versus Golovkin? The thoughts of the trading of high velocity nastiness is pretty damned enticing, is it not? Talk to me.

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