Northern Exposure: David Lemieux vs Hector Camacho Jr. & Troy Ross vs Carl Handy Previews

Corey Erdman previews this weekend's Canadian boxing action.

The Canadian boxing scene will be the center of attention this weekend.

Though the fighters involved are certainly worthy of worldwide attention in any circumstance, the slate from Friday to Sunday can be compared to being stuck on a night out in a half-empty club.

Sure, the girls might be good looking, but it's not as if you have much choice as to who to dance with anyway.

Regardless, one Canuck with world title hopes in his future, David Lemieux, and one who could arguably have one around his waist if it weren't for shoddy officiating in Germany, Troy Ross, all face fairly limited competition on cards in Montreal, Quebec and Rama, Ontario, respectively.

Friday: David Lemieux vs. Hector Camacho Jr (ESPN3, SecondsOutTV)

Lemieux will kick off the festivities on ESPN3.com and Secondsout.com in a middleweight tilt against Hector Camacho Jr., undoubtedly the biggest name on his resume to date. Camacho has padded his record mostly by outclassing low-level fighters and faded veterans, including a split decision over a grizzled Yori Boy Campas in October of 2009.

More important however, is that Camacho Jr. theoretically presents a style that Lemieux has not yet seen; a quick fighter dedicated to movement around the ring. And constant movement is exactly what Lemieux's camp expects.

"If he doesn't do that, he might find himself in the same situation (Elvin) Ayala found himself in," said Lemieux's trainer Russ Anber. "If he has any hopes of trying to upset the apple cart, I think that's exactly what he's going to have to do."

Ayala, whom Lemieux knocked out in one round in his ESPN Friday Night Fights debut in June, was expected to be the fleet of foot challenge his camp is seeking, but he quickly felt the 21-year old's power.

"I'd be hard pressed to find any middleweight in the world that would come out on top if he stayed with David toe to toe," boasts Anber.

If Lemieux continues to pass the gradual tests such as the Camacho bout with relative ease, he will be taking the ultimate step up in the near future.

"If things go according to schedule, our timeline is somewhere around mid-2011 for a title fight, at which point We expect David to be somewhere around 28 professional fights, give or take," said Anber.

Saturday: Troy Ross vs. Carl Handy (SecondsOutTV)

Fresh off a controversial TKO loss to Steve Cunningham, Ross returns to his home province for the first time in five years to face Montreal-based journeyman Carl Handy.

The very reason Ross entered The Contender reality television show, which he eventually won, was because he had plateaued in terms of the quality of bouts he could get, and needed a spark.

Post-Contender however, Ross is finding similar difficulties. After knocking out Ehinomen Ehikhamenor in the finale, the Brampton, Ontario native has fought two journeymen, Michael Simms and Daniel Bispo, and incurred the questionable loss to Cunningham. After an apparent thumb to the eye in the fourth round caused a cut on Ross' left eye, however it was ruled a legal blow, and as such, a TKO victory for Cunningham.

But after Cunningham refused a rematch, Ross is back in the carousel of the IBF, and again keeping busy against light competition.

"I think he was just happy to be out of the fight, because he knew what happened in the fourth round," said Ross, referring to a fourth round knockdown. "I want to prove that there is absolutely no way he could beat me. I would take the fight today, tomorrow, whenever."

In the meantime, the southpaw will meet Handy, a natural super middleweight, best known for a loss to IBF titleholder Lucian Bute.

"We just have to keep fighting and keep as busy as possible so my ranking either stays the same or moves up."

Ross isn't exactly ecstatic about the competition, but the silver lining in Cunningham's refusal to a rematch and the IBF's decision to not grant him mandatory status, is that it opens him up to be ranked by other governing bodies, as mandatory challengers cannot be courted by other organizations.

"A year from now, we plan to have a world title. It doesn't matter if it's the IBF, we want a world title," said Ross.

Corey Erdman is a host and producer at SIRIUS 98, and a freelance boxing writer formerly of The Sporting News' The Rumble. Follow him on Twitter: Corey_Erdman@Twitter