Schaefer wants Matthysse-Peterson on May 18th

By Boxing News - 02/23/2013 - Comments

matthysse324By Dan Ambrose: We could be seeing IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s) facing WBC light welterweight interim champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) on May 18th, according to Steve Kim.

Peterson defeated Kendall Holt by an 8th round TKO last night in Washington, DC in a mostly one-sided fight. Peterson came out of the fight without taking too much punishment, and his promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions wants to get him back in the ring quickly to face Matthysse.

It may not be the #1 fight that Peterson has on his list because he says he’d like to face Amir Khan and Danny Garcia, but it’s what Schaefer is offering him right now.

The Matthysse vs. Peterson fight, if it takes place, would be part of a card headlined by Devon Alexander vs. Kell Brook. That fight was supposed to be taking place in February but Alexander suffered a biceps injury, and needed to postpone the fight. Schaefer is hoping Alexander will be ready to go by May so he can be packaged with the Matthysse-Peterson fight.

Matthysse is coming off of a 1st round knockout win over Mike Dallas Jr. last month. Matthysse looked great in that fight as he dispatched Dallas Jr. quickly. Matthysse wants to face Danny Garcia for his WBC light welterweight title, but Schaefer seems to be stalling for time in order to make that a bigger fight.

He’s talked about wanting to match Matthysse against welterweight Marcos Maidana, but Matthysse has been less thrilled at the idea of facing his fellow countryman Maidana. It’s easy to understand why.

Matthysse worked hard in becoming the mandatory challenger for Garcia by stopping Ajose Olusegun, but now that he’s earned the shot to face him, Schaefer isn’t letting it happen and seems to be putting more hoops in front of Matthysse that he has to jump through before he can get the Garcia fight.

You’d have to like Matthysse against Peterson because Matthysse is a bigger puncher, and Peterson is there to be hit. He likes to slug it out with his opposition, and in this case it might be a bad idea for him to do that.



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