Peterson vs. Matthysse: Possible FOTY?

008LPetersonandMatthysseIMG_3914(Photo credit: Casino/Showtime) By John G. Thompson: While March’s clash between Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov stands as the clear favorite for Fight of the Year (with honorable mention to Alvarado vs. Rios), this Saturday’s bout between IBF light welterweight champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s) and “interim” WBC light welterweight champ Lucas Martin Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) seems bound to produce the kind of fireworks which might put it in contention.

The match will be fought at a catch-weight of 141 lbs. meaning that Peterson cannot lose his title regardless of the outcome, though Matthysse loses the interim title should he fail to win. The bout will be televised live on Showtime from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

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Rafael doubts Mayweather-Canelo fight will get made despite Schaefer’s optimism

canelo453ESPN writer Dan Rafael says that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer e-mailed him saying that the reports about Floyd Mayweather Jr. wanting a fight with WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to take place at 147 lbs. isn’t true.

It’s interesting that Schaefer is saying that because Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr. said in an interview today that Canelo has to come down to 147 for the fight to happen in September, and that he won’t let Floyd Jr. fight the 172 pound Canelo due to the huge weight difference between the two fighters.

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Mayweather Sr: If Canelo wants Floyd Jr., it’s going to be at 147

floyd#121Floyd Mayweather Sr. doesn’t want his son Floyd Jr. fighting the 172 lb. WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) at 154 lbs. because he sees the potential of Canelo filling up on water weight in the 24 hours after the weigh-in and coming into the fight weighing well over 170 pounds in their proposed fight on September 14th.

As such, Floyd Sr. is saying that if Canelo wants to fight Mayweather Jr. it’s going to have to be at 147. Canelo will have to prove that he can make that weight before he can get the fight with Floyd Jr.

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Who can Save Fans From the Current Boxing Malaise? Somebody, Please….

By Jeff Meyers: Maybe it’s just the dog days of summer approaching, but I can’t help but feel that a general feeling of malaise plagues the Sweet Science.

A large portion of this vague, unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness stems from the growing realization that a Floyd Mayweather, Jr.-Manny Pacquiao bout is unlikely to ever take place.

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Matthysse and Peterson saving money on sanctioning fees on Saturday with no titles on the line

matthysse324Neither IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s) or WBC interim light welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) will have their titles on the line for their fight this Saturday, May 18th on Showtime at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

Matthysse, 30, didn’t want to have his interim WBC title on the line for fear that he would lose out on his chance to get a fight against WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia in the fall if he gets beaten by Peterson on Saturday.

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Is Amir Khan shot or simply a fighter in transition?

khan#2 - CopyBy Jack Scales: Amir Khan’s most recent performance against Julio Diaz, was in some respects typical of the Amir we have grown to know and appreciate over the years. As usual he displayed tremendous valor and the fans were treated to an engaging contest that provided terrific value for money.

Complimenting this was a new found maturity that revered trainer Virgil Hunter has instilled in Khan. This was evident in his uncharacteristic reaction to the knockdown he suffered in round four. Instead of his usual response, which has typically been to bounce back up immediately and engage in a costly brawl, on this occasion he maintained his composure and boxed sensibly.

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Will Tomlinson Defeats Malcolm Klassen to Retain IBO Super Featherweight Title

Australian Will Tomlinson (21-0-1, 12 KOs) has retained the IBO super featherweight title in defeating South African Malcolm Klassen (27-6-2, 14 KOs) via unanimous decision in Melbourne, Australia tonight.

In what seemed a very competitive fight from start to finish, Tomlinson was aggressive, looking to stalk down the two time IBF super featherweight champion Klassen from the outset. The first round saw Tomlinson land a controversial knockdown on the South African that appeared to be from a shove, with Klassen showing considerable displeasure to the referee’s ruling.

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Kotey Neequaye vows to beat Sanchez in New York June 7

Samuel-Kotey-NeequayeUS based Ghanaian fighter, Samuel Kotey Neequaye takes another step towards championship glory when he faces Guillermo Sanchez in a Welterweight contest scheduled for 10 rounds on June 7 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York.

Undefeated Neequaye (19-0, 15 KOs) has pledged nothing but victory over American of Puerto Rico descent, Sanchez (13-8, 5 KOs) as he bids for recognition and cracks at title fights in his quest to follow in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey to become world boxing champion.

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