Lamont Peterson successfully broke down and stopped long-time contender Kendall Holt in the 8th round of their Junior Welterweight title bout last week. It was quite an impressive showing by Peterson in what was supposed to be a very difficult fight.
Before the bout with Holt, Peterson had signed with Golden Boy in hopes of securing some bigger fights in the not so distant future. This should not be an issue given his recent performances and the quality of fighters Golden Boy has in his weight vicinity.
With this in mind, here are three likely foes for Peterson in the near future.
Lucas Matthysse
Lucas Matthysse seems to be the next logical opponent for Lamont Peterson, and the fight should be relatively easy to make as both Matthysse and Peterson are aligned with Golden Boy.
Matthysse and Peterson are each also seeking big fights. At the moment, most available top Junior Welterweights and Welterweights are tied up with their own upcoming bouts. Why should either man wait for those fights and scenarios to play out when they could just fight each other?
This is a bout that is also likely to get heavy fan support. It is a competitive bout in a loaded division. It also has the potential for fireworks and high drama. What is not to like from a boxing fan’s perspective?
If the fans like it, they will buy tickets and watch on television. So it would seemingly be a win for Golden Boy and television network involved as well.
Finally, this is a fight that neither man may “lose” in the end.
How can that be? As we all know in boxing, styles make fights. And the styles of Matthysse and Peterson mesh so well that in my opinion this can’t help but be a close, competitive fight.
Peterson will seemingly try to pressure Matthysse, just like he did Khan. He will work combinations on the inside particularly to the body and come upstairs from time to time.
Matthysse, on the other hand, will look to catch Peterson in between punches. His hope will be to hurt Peterson will his big time punching power. At the very least, Matthysse will hope to land with enough big shots to carry the rounds.
Matthysse has two losses on his resume. In each of those fights, a scenario similar to the one described above played itself out. He did hurt his opponents but was unable to finish them. In the end he lost disputed decisions but his stature in the sport grew.
I would not be surprised if a fight against Peterson went in a similar fashion. In the end, both men will argue they had success despite who actually prevails.
For these reasons, I am fully expecting Lucas Matthysse to be Lamont Peterson’s next opponent.
Joan Guzman
I am analyzing likely opponents for Lamont Peterson in the near term. Though this may not be the bout we all desire, it logically makes sense.
Guzman is a name and a former world champion. He was born in the Dominican Republic but fights out of Brooklyn.
Golden Boy has already put on or planned several shows at the Barclays Center. The man who is the kingpin of the Junior Welterweight division, Danny Garcia, has already headlined one card and is headlining a second in April.
Whether Peterson wins or loses to Matthysse, he seems to be a logical opponent at some point for Garcia. If Garcia wins in April, it is sensible to believe he will continue headlining at the Barclays Center to build his drawing power there, and I can see Golden Boy wanting to bring in a local fighter to the card in a big fight to help drive the promotion and ticket sales. Thus, enter Guzman as Peterson’s opponent.
This would be the perfect scenario for Peterson and Golden Boy. Guzman would be an opponent that stylistically Peterson should handle with little issue. He is a much busier fighter and should not find it too difficult to land his own combinations while avoiding Guzman’s wild shots.
As for Golden Boy, they get their ticket draw and set Peterson up to look good in front of the Brooklyn crowed. This will only help drive the promotion to a future bout with Danny Garcia back at the Barclay’s Center.
Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia is currently the top man at Junior Welterweight. Peterson called him out after his victory against Kendall Holt and it would be no surprise to one day soon see these two men in the ring.
If Peterson and Garcia each continue to win, this fight is a natural. In this scenario, each man would be title holders and set up a major unification bout.
However, I still see this fight being made in the next 18 months even if one or the other loses. As a matter of fact, both could lose and the fight still made.
It is a compelling match regardless of their records or recent history between two very talented fighters. In addition, they are both from the east coast which would make the fight an easy sell somewhere on the east, and the aforementioned Barclays Center would certainly be a strong possibility.
Garcia likes to box and use angles to set up his punches. However, he can get aggressive and trade with opponents when the opportunity presents itself.
Peterson relies on his aggression and will try to work his way inside to attack Garcia’s body. But he is smart about how he does this and often leads with the jab to set up his inside attack. The potential is there for several thrilling exchanges where each trades combinations of their own. There really is no scenario in my estimation in which this becomes anything less than a compelling action packed bout.
A bout between Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson seems inevitable at some point, and my guess is that it will be sooner rather than later, although at least after a bout between Peterson and Matthysse.
