David Lemieux’s money punch has always been his left hook, and the former middleweight titlist cashed in on Saturday night in a big way.

In an all-action meeting between big punchers at 160 pounds, Lemieux took a big step back toward another title shot with a chilling third-round knockout of Curtis Stevens in the main event from Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

With Stevens backed up against the ropes, Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) uncorked a three-punch combination in which he missed with a jab, tagged him with an overhand right and knocked him out cold with a short left hook to the chin that nearly sent Stevens crashing onto the announcer’s table.

“I told you what I was going to do tonight and I did it,” Lemieux said. “I hope [Stevens] is healthy and everything goes good. I saw check mate -- it was a perfect connection and it’s the one we have been practicing for and the one we have been looking to do.”

Stevens (29-6, 21 KOs) was unconscious for a long stretch of time laying on the ring apron. After being revived, he was responsive while being removed from the ring on a stretcher and was then transported to a local hospital as a precaution, according to a social media post from Main Events matchmaker Jolene Mizzone.

The fight was contested at a brisk pace from the opening bell as Lemieux swarmed Stevens -- often a late starter -- with right hands upstairs and hard hooks to the body. Lemieux slowed down a bit in Round 2 as Stevens worked his way back into the fight with counter combinations.

“I was in very great shape [but] the reason I slowed down is because my trainer [Marc Ramsay] was telling me to relax, find my openings and stop wasting my shots for nothing,” Lemieux said. “[Stevens] is a physically strong guy but [his power] was nothing impressive and nothing that slowed me down as you saw.”

In Round 3, Lemieux went back to an aggressive pace before connecting on the knockout punch.

“I told you guys where I was going to be. I said it and I did it and you guys tell me whether I should be back in the [title mix],” Lemieux said. “I think the fans want to see great fights and I have great fights to give. Whenever I come out, I give the fans my heart out in the ring and you always see the 100 percent of me.”

With the victory, his third straight since a one-sided title unification loss to Gennady Golovkin in 2015 by stoppage, Lemieux expects a bit fight upon his return.

“We want to face the best fighters out there,” Lemieux said. “Whatever name is up there, I want to face him. There’s [Billy Joe] Saunders, who has the title, there’s Canelo [Alvarez], who we have been talking about a lot. Canelo is a solid fighter, a great fighter. And for sure there’s the kingpin, Golovkin, that for sure I would love to defeat.”