By Ian S Palmer
Lamont Peterson vs. Lucas Matthysse Preview May 18
The Lamont Peterson vs Lucas Matthysse bout At the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on May 18 should be quite a battle even though neither of the boxers are putting their titles on the line. The American Peterson is the IBF Junior Welterweight Champion and Matthysse from Argentina holds the WBC interim belt. However, expect to see 12 rounds or less of toe-to-toe action.
Matthysse, a well-known power puncher, will enter the ring with an impressive record of 33-2 along with 31 Kos. The 30-year-old stands just over 5-feet-6 inches tall and has a 69-inch reach. The 29-year-old Peterson of Washington D.C. has a 31-1-1 mark along with 16 Kos. Peterson has a height and reach advantage since he’s 5-foot-9 and has a 72-inch reach.
Peterson’s last outing came in February when he beat Kendall Holt by a knockout. His best performance to date was a controversial decision over England’s Amir Khan back I December of 2012. However, he was found to have performance-enhancing drugs in his system and the WBA belt he won from Khan was stripped from him. His scheduled rematch with Khan was also scrapped. When facing somebody as good as Matthysse, he’s going to have to utilize his boxing skills, speed, and experience.
However, the bout could come down to the state of Peterson’s chin. So far in his career it hasn’t exactly served him too well as Khan, Victor Ortiz, and Timothy Bradley have all sent him to the deck in bouts. Give Peterson credit though as he always manages to get back up and carry on. However, if he gets caught clean by Matthysse it could be a different story.
This bout could feature the matador and the bull with Peterson taking on the role of the matador. He’ll need to use his physical advantages as well as his boxing skills to pull it off though. It might be easier said than done because Matthysse is an underrated boxer who has proven his skills against the likes of Zab Judah and Devon Alexander, even though he lost close decisions to both of them. He also managed to drop both of those boxers in their bouts.
Peterson definitely has more hand speed than Matthysse and this could be a crucial aspect of the bout. But in the past, the Argentine has managed to catch up to everybody he’s ever fought as a pro and eventually drop them at least once. It will certainly be interesting to see how Peterson reacts when and if he’s nailed right on the chin.
Prediction
Neither boxer is known for their quick starts and the first couple of rounds here might not be too exciting, but as soon as they’ve felt each other out we could see some fireworks in the ring. The rounds on the scorecards could be crucial if this fight goes the distance and neither fighter can afford to give them away. The fight will still come down to Matthysse’s ability or inability to catch up with the American and land cleanly on him. Peterson has the edge in a boxing match while Matthysse has the edge in a brawl. Therefore expect Peterson to try and box and keep Matthysse at bay. However, sooner or later Matthysse’s likely to hurt him and Peterson’s either going to shake it off or be stopped. Look for Matthysse to eventually stop him late in the fight.
