By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Tureano Johnson wasn’t among the middleweights Gennady Golovkin mentioned in the aftermath of his impressive victory over David Lemieux at Madison Square Garden.

If the Kazakh knockout artist can’t land the winner between Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) and Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), the high-profile fight he wants for obvious reasons, there are two other middleweight matches Golovkin and his handlers mentioned him possibly pursuing.

Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) could face the winner of an all-British battle Dec. 19 in Manchester, England, which will match WBO 160-pound title-holder Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24 KOs) against Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12 KOs). Though it appears less likely, the interim WBC, “super” WBA and IBF middleweight champion also could face whomever wins the all-Brooklyn bout between WBA “world” champion Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) and Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on Dec. 5 at Barclays Center.

Johnson, however, became the mandatory challenger for Golovkin’s IBF championship when he beat Northern Ireland’s Eamonn O’Kane by unanimous decision on the Golovkin-Lemieux undercard. The contender from the Bahamas assured anyone who would listen that he won’t pass up a chance to challenge Golovkin if the aforementioned fighters head in different directions.

“When that opportunity comes, you won’t be disappointed,” Johnson said. “I will definitely bring it and give it all that I have. And no, I ain’t just gonna fight Triple-G for fighting’s sake. I’m gonna beat Triple-G. I’m gonna beat Triple-G. That’s what my game plan is. … We’ve got to make this happen.”

The 31-year-old Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) dropped O’Kane (14-2-1, 5 KOs) twice with right hands in the first round Saturday night and looked like he would score a quick knockout. O’Kane regained his composure, though, wasn’t knocked down again and was able to survive all 12 rounds.

Johnson realizes, of course, that fighting Golovkin would be much more difficult than anything he has done during his five-year pro career.

“Triple-G is unlike any other character,” Johnson said. “He’s one who poses very good technique, very good balance, extremely serious power. And you want me to tell you something? I would love to one day feel the heaviest blow from the hardest puncher. I would love that. That’s what I enjoy. I don’t like taking punches, but I do have a knack for taking a good blow.

“But it would be a pleasure and an honor to get a good blow from Triple-G. But indeed, he could hit me with all he’s got. I can hit him back, too. Triple-G does have a lot going for himself, but definitely I [saw] a lot of things that I can capitalize on when I watched David Lemieux and Triple-G [Saturday night]. So definitely, you’re not gonna just see a competitor. You’re gonna see a champion arrive to fight Triple-G.”

Curtis Stevens, whom Golovkin stopped after eight one-sided rounds nearly two years ago in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, dealt Johnson his lone professional defeat in April 2014. Johnson, who was winning that fight on all three scorecards entering the 10th and final round, considers referee Gary Rosato’s 10th-round stoppage premature.

He is 5-0 (3 KOs) since Stevens stopped him, but understands he isn’t the opponent fight fans want to watch Golovkin box.

“I’m used to not being noticed,” Johnson said. “I come from a country of 300,000 people, from the Bahamas. We’re just like a speck on the globe. But now you guys saw what I did [Saturday night]. The work that I did in the past may have gone unnoticed, but y’all saw what I did [Saturday night]. Y’all saw what I can do [Saturday night]. It was just a little spectacle that I did. I showed a little bit of technique. I went 12 rounds for the very first time. I enjoyed it. I enjoy boxing. Now you’ve seen what I can do. And I have a lot more inside this arsenal.”

Johnson hasn’t beaten a top opponent, but he certainly doesn’t lack confidence.

“I’ve got a cast-iron chin and it has been tested,” said Johnson, who’s promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. “Has Triple-G ever been tested? … Taking a blow ain’t the best thing to do. But hey, honestly, you give me the best one you’ve got and I can show you just how I can take it, and I can give it even better.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.