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Peterson vs. Matthysse…16 Ounces Of Red Tape

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When Lamont Peterson steps inside the ring to face Lucas Matthysse Saturday night, he will not lose. Regardless of the outcome, the Washington, D.C.-native will return to his locker room a “champion”. More specifically, the IBF junior welterweight champion. 


Due to “red tape” restrictions, the junior welterweight showdown between Lamont Peterson (31-1-1; 16KOs) and Lucas Matthysse (33-2; 31KOs) will take place at a catch weight limit of 141 pounds instead of the normal 140-pound limit. The extra 16 ounces insures that neither the IBF title or Mattyhsse’s WBC Interim Super Lightweight belt will exchange hands. This may seem petty since both fighters are likely to weigh-in at 141 the day before the fight only to “re-hydrate” to weights above 150 pounds. Apparently, the International Boxing Federation required Matthysse to vacate his WBC “interim champion” distinction in order to be eligible to win their title from Peterson (IBF’s policy is to not unify interim titles). Never mind the possibility that Matthysse may be a better boxer and champion than Peterson. The IBF has decided not to recognize this possibility. So, yes, from a fan’s perspective, the 141 compromise is petty. And just another one of the growing list of political snafoos that affect the long-term survival prospects of boxing.

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IBF junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson has continuously beaten the odds to become a champion in life as well as the sport of boxing. Matthysse will present another tough test for the 29-year old D.C.-native.

Should Peterson’s hand be raised at Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey on Saturday night, the previous rambling about the IBF’s sanctioning lunacy becomes a moot point. Regardless, pairing these two in the same ring was imperative. And, the ultimate prize will, most likely, be a much more valuable reward than the IBF crown: a date with RING, WBC and WBA 140-pound champion, Danny “Swift” Garcia. Garcia is widely recognized as the best boxer in the 140 pound division. He has never entered the ring against Peterson or Matthysse, but “Swift” does have wins over Amir Khan and Zab Judah to help his claim of preeminence. The winner of the Garcia vs. Matthysse/Peterson brawl (crossing fingers that this fight happens) will undoubtedly be king of the junior welterweights and possibly vault themselves into the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes. Any talk of Mayweather, or Garcia, may be a bit premature. For now, boxing fans will have to settle for a bona-fied world class fight when Peterson and Matthysse meet.


Peterson / Matthysse…What To Watch For:


For this fight, Peterson will have a 3-inch height and 3-inch reach advantage over Matthysse. Oddly enough, in Peterson’s case, being more than 2 inches taller than his opposition might not be an advantage. Controversial or not, Peterson is unbeaten in his last 5 fights and in those bouts, his opponents’ average height is 5′ 9″. Interestingly enough, his only loss came against a shorter fighter, 5′ 6″ Timothy Bradley. Bradley is a much softer puncher than Matthysse, so “Havoc” may have an even tougher time than he anticipates. 

Lucas Matthysse should probablybe an undefeated fighter. In November of 2010, he suffered a split decision loss to Zab Judah. Boxing Blotter scored the fight 116-111 for Matthysse. Approximately 6 months later, Matthysse suffered another spilt decision loss to Devon Alexander. Matthysse clearly won this matchup as well(Boxing Blotter scored this fight 97-93 for Matthysse as well). Since then, Lucas has effectively avoided another robbery by stopping his last 5 opponents by knockout. The Argentinian slugger will look to do the same against Peterson.


Keys To Victory (Lamont Peterson):

1. Use Jab To Control Spacing / Distance:

Lamont Peterson loves the jab. Monty has been showing more “pop” in his punches lately, but his jab is what has won many fights for him. Being the taller and longer fighter, Lamont will look to stay away from Matthysse’s sledge hammer right hand by using angles to confuse Matthysse. Peterson will have to be in tip top shape, because Matthysse is the type of fighter that finishes strong. 

2. Pick “spots” wisely:

Peterson has the faster hands and he will look to throw combinations off of his jab. Matthysse has a solid chin (never been knocked off his feet during his 9-year pro career) and will look to keep the pressure on Peterson all night. Lamont won’t be able to avoid going toe-to-toe with Matthysse for 12 rounds. Peterson has to be wise about when he chooses to “let his hands go” and when he utilizes his boxing skills. Matthysse is not a poor counter puncher, so if Peterson makes a mistake Matthysse can end his night with one shot.

3. Finish Strong

Matthysse has gotten a bad rap as being a slow starter. In my observation, it isn’t because he stars slow. He just throws boring punches in the early rounds by typically concentrating on body shots. Matthysse’s body work almost always slows his opposition down by the “championship rounds” (IF they last that long), allowing Matthysse to finish strong. Peterson will not be able to avoid the body punching assault, but if he is able to roll with many of the punches and not wear down, he should be able to “finish strong” against Lucas. Peterson will surely need to do this to win.


Keys To Victory (Lucas Matthysse):

1. Head Movement (get inside)

As discussed earlier, Peterson has a 3-inch reach advantage and will look to stay outside Matthysse’s punches. If Matthysse expects to be victorious, he will need to close the distance by getting inside. The only way he can accomplish this is through effective head movement. Similarly to the way Canelo Alvarez was able to nullify Austin Trout’s reach by moving his head, Matthysse must show he can do the same. At times during his fight with Devon Alexander, Lucas Matthysse allowed Alexander to land “shoe shine” punches while he looked for opportunities to land the right hand. The problem with this is, even though the punches have no damaging effect, they are still scored on the judges’ score cards.

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Lucas Matthysse has been on the short end of the judges’ decisions against Zab Judah and Devin Alexander. The heavy-handed Argentinian will look to “keep it out of the judges hands” when he locks up with Lamont Peterson in a junior welterweight showdown this Saturday night.

2. Work The Body

We all know the saying, “kill the body and the head will die”. In Matthysse’s case, body work is a way of life. At some point, Lamont Peterson’s chin will be tested by Matthysse’s right hand. Peterson has touched the canvas in 3 of his last 6 fights, so Matthysse does have the capability to drop Peterson. If Matthysse should hurt Peterson early, it is imperative for him to refrain from “head hunting” and remain focused on the body.


3. Finish strong (be convincing)

It is likely that Peterson will build an early lead on the judges’ score cards. In the same way Peterson can not coast down the stretch, Matthysse has to keep pressure on the IBF champion. Should the fight be determined by the judges, a strong finish by the WBC interim champion could help him win a decision.

The Lamont Peterson vs. Lucas Matthysse bout may have lost some luster with all of the political maneuvering amongst the sanctioning organizations but, in spite of that, Saturday night will still be a huge night for the junior welterweight division. And considering some of the obstacles Peterson has faced (he was homeless for years as a teenager after being abandoned by his mother) the IBF really can not sanction the type of championship Peterson has already earned through his perseverance.

 

***Boxing Blotter’s Prediction***

We believe Lucas Matthysse is still largely underrated. Although he has physical disadvantages to overcome, he also has heart and a big right hand that will neutralize those drawbacks. Going into this fight, I give Matthysse a slight advantage. Lamont Peterson seems to be punching harder in his last few fights, but with only 16 knockouts in 33 contests, it is hard to think that his power will give Matthysse problems. Matthysse is a fighter that does not fade at the end of his fights so look for Peterson to eventually succumb to Matthysse’s pressure in a late round stoppage. 

Matthysse by KO in round 10



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