By Dan Ambrose: Former interim WBC light welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) will be resuming his boxing career in April or May of 2017, according to Fight News. The 34-year-old Matthysse hasn’t fought since being stopped in the 10th round by Viktor Postol in October 2015.
Matthysse suffered an eye injury in that loss and he’s been out of the ring ever since then. By the time that Matthysse does fight again, he’ll have been out of action for at least year and a half. The 5’6 ½” Matthysse wants to fight at welterweight now.
Matthysse’s promoters at Golden Boy will be looking to bring him back and get him a title shot in the not too distant future. Matthysse was kind of on the small side for the 140lb division. With him moving up to 147, it’s going to be difficult for him to find success in this weight class.
Matthysse wants a rematch against Danny Garcia, who currently holds the WBC welterweight title. Getting rematches against Garcia is never easy. Once he beats an opponent, he tends to keep moving forward with his career, even if he’s not always fighting great opponents. In the last two years, we’ve seen Garcia recently fighting Paulie Malignaggi, Lamont Peterson, Robert Guerrero, Samuel Vargas, Rod Salka and Mauricio Herrera.
The last time Danny Garcia fought a good opponent was in his fight against Matthysse three years ago. Garcia hasn’t tested since his close win over Matthysse. Garcia has a unification fight against WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman on March 4. It’s quite possible that Garcia will lose that fight. If Matthysse still wants to fight Garcia after the loss, then it’s possible. I don’t think it’ll happen. Garcia will be rebuilt, and that probably means more opponents in the class of Rod Salka, Samuel Vargas and Robert Guerrero. Matthysse would need to go through Thurman if he wants to win a world title.
Matthysse would probably be better off staying at 140 due to his small size. However, he would have a lot of problems trying to beat WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford. That guy is likely too mobile and quick for Matthysse.
At 147, Matthysse would get a bigger payday if/when he eventually gets a title shot against one of the champions. Depending on how much his payday is, Matthysse could do well at welterweight. His lack of size is going to be a problem for him though if he’s serious about wanting to win a world title in this weight class.
If Errol Spence Jr. ends up winning the IBF title this year and facing the winner of the Garcia vs. Thurman fight for the IBF and WBA titles, then Spence could potentially have three of the four welterweight titles by the end of 2017. Matthysse is probably too short to ever have a chance against the 5’9” Spence, who not only is tall, but he’s also a big welterweight when it comes to his frame and his rehydrated weight.
One fight that would be perfect for Matthysse would be against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. However, he’s with Top Rank, and it appears that his promoter Bob Arum might continue to mostly match him against his own Top Rank fighters, especially now with Pacquiao nearing the end of his career. It’s doubtful that the 85-year-old Arum will match Pacquiao against Matthysse.
Arum is talking about wanting to put Pacquiao in with Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko and Jeff Horn, all of which he promotes. Top Rank co-promotes Jeff Horn. Pacquiao could face Horn in the second half of 2017. Matthysse is going to have to do it the hard way if he wants to get a title shot by going after either Spence after he picks up the IBF belt from Kell Brook or the winner of the Garcia-Thurman fight.