By Jake Donovan

When all is said and done, David Lemieux will either prove to be the most persistent athlete in boxing...or yet another who's far too stubborn for his own good.

The former middleweight titlist returns to the ring for the first time since a one-sided knockout loss to Gennady Golovkin in their unification bout last October. His showdown with Glen Tapia this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. serves as the chief support to Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez' middleweight title defense versus Amir Khan atop a four-fight HBO Pay-Per-View event (Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET).

It also comes just two months after having to cancel a homecoming appearance in Montreal due to missing the middleweight mark by more than a little bit.

Most would take it as writing on the wall to move onward and upward. Ever the warrior in and out of the ring, Lemieux (34-3, 31KOs) remains convinced he can still make a run at middleweight - up to and including conquering Golovkin.

"I'm not going to make excuses for what happened in March, because nobody wants to hear excuses," Lemieux told BoxingScene.com of the dilemma that led to his canceled bout with James de la Rosa this past March. "We tried something new in camp for that; for this fight we are back to doing everything that has worked well in the past."

The charismatic ex-champ had won nine straight - including his stateside debut in a 10th round stoppage of Gabriel Rosado in their Dec. '14 clash in Brooklyn, New York - prior to running into Golovkin. The unification bout gave him the big fight feel outside of Montreal, playing to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

It also resulted in relinquishing the title he'd claimed in a spirited 12-round win over Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam last June in Montreal. His first fight post-reign also marks his third trip to the United States in his past four fights.

The placement isn't by accident, as he's come to realize that facing lesser opposition at home won't get him to where he needs to be in what has essentially become a third career.

"I'm really looking forward to fighting in Las Vegas for the first time," Lemieux acknowledges of his debut in the boxing capital of the world. "I enjoyed fighting in New York and can't wait to fight in the new arena (in Vegas)."

With a win, Lemieux has his sights set on any reigning middleweight titlist who is willing to fight at the full 160-pound limit. The top name on his list is the man regarded as the very best the division has to offer - a viewpoint he shares for the moment but is eager to disprove the second time around.

"What can I say, Gennady Golovkin is a terrific fighter and beat me that night," Lemieux notes. "But even that night I was convinced that I can beat him and I still believe it to be true."

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox