By Dan Ambrose: The fight last month on January 26th between WBC light welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) and Mike Dallas Jr. (19-3-1, 8 KO’s) sold only 1,137 tickets at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Dan Rafael.
Those aren’t good numbers if you’re a fan of Matthysse, and it may make it easier for the top light welterweights to choose not to fight Matthysse because he doesn’t have much of a fan base in the United States.
It’s going to take a lot more time before the 30-year-old Matthysse builds up his star appeal in the U.S, and it doesn’t help him that guys like Danny Garcia aren’t in a hurry to face him. If Matthysse could get Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, and Judah it the ring that would definitely help make a name for him.
Matthysse already fought Judah in New Jersey three years ago and ended up losing by a controversial 12 round decision. Matthysse would likely have to KO Judah in a rematch to win because the fight would likely take place on the East coast again where Judah is from, so there would be the possibility of Matthysse losing by another hometown decision. However, the only way Judah will fight Matthysse is if Judah gets past Garcia in April, and that’s not looking good.
Matthysse blew out Dallas Jr. in the 1st round after hitting him with a hard right hand that knocked him cold. The win was 5th consecutive stoppage win after having lost to Devon Alexander two years ago by a controversial decision.
Matthysse wants to face WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia next, but that fight get put off for a while unless the World Boxing Council pushes Garcia into taking it. Garcia has a title defense against Zab Judah on April 27th, and after that Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Garcia, might choose to steer him away from Matthysse towards a rematch
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