Rumors are rampant that former WBC Heavyweight champ Samuel Peter is not looking good lately. Multiple sources who have seen Peter in the gym recently have said he is “heavy” and not looking sharp at all. Ring observers know this is a crucial point in the career of 28-year-old Peter, who is coming off the disastrously unimpressive stoppage loss to Vitali Klitschko last year.
I contacted a former sparring partner of Peter and received more disappointing news regarding “The Nigerian Nightmare.” “I went to camp with Peter and sparred with him before his fight with Klitschko. I realized he wasn’t really nothing. In training camp I was beating the crap out of him. It was horrible, because he was telling me he couldn’t hit me with certain punches, he couldn’t throw certain stuff. It was embarrassing. I was beating the crap out of him just with one-twos,” says the sparring partner who is 15-11 journeyman as a pro, without any amateur experience.
If you remember, Vitali Klitschko beat up on a strangely docile Peter with a non-stop onslaught of lefts and rights. Peter boxed Klitschko that night almost as if he were half-asleep.
Now Peter is set to take on the quick-fisted boxing skills of Eddie Chambers this weekend in a critically important heavyweight clash that could make or break his career. Chambers is ranked #3 in the IBF while Peter is slotted at #5. A win puts Peter back in the mix for a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko – but a loss severely devalues Peter’s worth as a heavyweight contender and possibly sets him back to the ESPN2 circuit.
