Tag Archives: lamont

Posted on 03/27/2019

By: Hans Themistode

All good things come to an end doesn’t it?

For Lamont Peterson (35-5-1, 17 KOs) that end came this past Saturday night on March 23rd, in front of his hometown fans in Maryland at the MGM National Harbor. Peterson took on rising contender Sergey Lipinets in what turned out to be the final fight of his career.

Peterson has never been in a boring fight and that rang true as both he and Lipinets put on an absolute show. The contest was nip and tuck throughout but in the end it was Lipinets who managed to score the knockout victory. Shortly after, Peterson addressed the crowd and let it be known that he was leaving the sport of boxing for good. Peterson battled with long stretches of inactivity recently in his career as he fought just once in 2017 and 2018. He didn’t step into the ring at all in 2016 as well. At age 35 the end was near for Peterson but this past Saturday night he made it official.

Peterson leaves at the age of 35 and amassed a record of 35 wins to only 5 defeats and 1 draw.

Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and countless others have all succumbed to Father Time. Bernard Hopkins may have fought that battle to a draw with how long he managed to fight at a high level. The point of the matter is that every boxer no matter how great they are faces a time when they must hang the gloves up for good.

Let’s be clear. In no way shape or form am I placing Peterson on the same pedestal as the fighters that were just rattled off. Peterson’s credentials fall short of getting him into the hall of fame. He admitted just as much in an interview just before his match up with Lipinets.

“No,” said Peterson when asked if he is a hall of famer. “I think the victory over Errol Spence would’ve put me there. So I think I’m right there but not quite in.”

The honesty from Peterson was refreshing. It was also the truth. He falls just short of getting into those infamous halls. With that being said however, he has carved out a legacy that will make sure he will never be forgotten.

Cast aside what he has accomplished inside of the ring for one minute and focus on what he had gone through outside of it.

At a very early age both Lamont and his younger brother Anthony were homeless. Their father was in prison while their mother dealt with her own personal demons. At the age of 10 boxing trainer Barry Hunter noticed them and became a father figure to them, especially to Lamont. Hunter has been on the record many times stating that Lamont isn’t just his boxer but he is like his son. The road Lamont took to not only become an outstanding fighter but a champion showed his true determination.

Petersons battles inside of the ring were those of legends. He consistently fought the best competition possible. In 2009 he won the Interim WBO Super Lightweight title against Willy Blain. He then immediately took on the number one fighter in the weight class at that time in Timothy Bradley Jr. Peterson came up short in that contest but would only come back even stronger.

That notion rang true when in 2011 he defeated WBA and IBF Super Lightweight champion Amir Khan. Controversy followed that win as Peterson was suspended and striped of the WBA title after testing positive for a banned substance. It was another set back for Peterson but as always he bounced back.

Once he returned from his suspension he would defeat Kendall Holt, lose to top contender Lucas Mattthysse but once again bounce back with dominant wins over then undefeated Dierry Jean and Edgar Santana.

Those wins helped to set up a match with Super Lightweight king Danny Garcia. The contest became an instant classic. Peterson seemed to be outboxing Garcia in the first half of the fight. During the second half Peterson dominated as he pressured Garcia and landed huge shots. In the end Peterson came up just short losing a majority decision.

If you thought that defeat would mark the end for Peterson then you haven’t been paying attention to who he is. In 2017 he moved up to Welterweight where he would defeat WBA Regular champion David Avanesyan and become a two weight world champion.

Sure he would go on to lose to Errol Spence Jr and most recently Sergey Lipinets but not without a fight. Peterson gave it everything he had once he stepped inside of that ring and his opponents always had a hard time dealing with his versatile skill set.

It wasn’t just the excellence that he displayed come fight night but it was also his work ethic that garnered respect from his piers.

“I haven’t seen anybody work as hard as him.” Said boxing trainer Ken Porter.

Current WBC Welterweight champion Shawn Porter shared his sentiments on the career of Peterson as well.

“He’s a throwback fighter. A guy that leaves it all in the ring. A guy that fights not only with his brain and his physical attributes but also with his heart. Lamont is all of that. At the end of the day that’s what we have to remember about Lamont Peterson. He was a warrior in the ring.”

Ask anyone in the boxing community and you will hear many of those same praises being said about Peterson. He has lost some big fights in his career but he has also won plenty of them as well. He now exits the sport as a two weight world champion and one helluva fighter.

He may not get inducted into the boxing hall of fame one day but he will always be remembered. He wasn’t just a champion in the ring but outside of it as well.

Lamont Peterson has forever left his mark in the sport of boxing.

Posted on 03/25/2019

By: Ken Hissner

Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions and Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment put on a televised card on Fox Sports live from the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, MD. This event was promoted in conjunction with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). The main event featured an upset by Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets by Lamont “Havoc” Peterson in ten rounds. Afterwards Lamont announced his retirement.

In the Main Event former IBF and WBA Super Lightweight champion now welterweight Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, 35-5-1 (17), of D.C. was upset in a fantastic action fight by Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets, 15-1 (11), of RUS and Beverley Hills, CA, at 2:59 of the tenth round.

In the first round Peterson used his hand speed against the shorter Lipinets who had more power but landed fewer punches. In the second round Lipinets got inside landing right uppercuts to the chin having Peterson trying to cover up. Peterson landed a chopping right to the head followed by a left uppercut to the body.

In the third round Lipinets landed a 3-punch combination to the head and body. Having moved up two weight classes he looked much smaller but hits hard. In the final minute Peterson stopped fighting inside and got back to moving and countering. Lipinets landed a punch after the bell.

In the fourth round Lipinets showed his power punching getting Peterson moving away as Lipinets cut the ring off well landing well on Peterson. In the fifth round Lipinets landed well making Peterson run from him before coming back inside. Lipinets landed a right to the chin followed by a left to the body while Peterson landed a left hook to the body in return. Peterson landed a double left hook to the body getting the fans into it. Peterson warned for a low blow by referee Harvey Dock and then Peterson landed a right hand as the bell sounded early causing the Peterson corner to get upset with the timekeeper.

In the sixth round Lipinets landed several solid body shots then got a warning for another being low. It turned into an inside brawl by both fighters. In the seventh round Peterson landed a straight right to the chin while Lipinets came back with a solid left to the chin. The action was furious.

In eighth round both fighters picked up where they left off with Lipinets hurting Peterson with a right cross on the chin. drawing blood from the nose. Lipinets landed a right ending the round as Peterson walked on unsteady legs back to his corner showing swelling under his left eye.

In the ninth round Peterson got right back into an inside war with Lopinets. Lipinets landed three body shots. It was Peterson backing up Lipinets in the final twenty seconds of the round.

In the tenth round Peterson landed three body shots before Lipinets came back with one of his own. Lipinets landed punch after punch having Peterson in trouble driven into the ropes to the point he stumbled to the canvas after taking three more punches as his corner wisely threw in the towel ending the fight in a dramatic upset!

Peterson announced his retirement after the fight and thanked his many fans in the audience for their support over the years. Lipinets manager gave a lot of credit to new trainer Joe Goosen.

In the co-feature super lightweight Anthony “Hazardous” Peterson, 37-1-1 (24), of D.C. and Dominican Argenis Mendez, 25-5-2 (12), born in Brooklyn, NY, fought to a split draw over 8 rounds.

In the first round Mendez followed Peterson around the ring getting out jabbed. In the second round Peterson finally opened up with a 3-punch combination to the body. Peterson landed a right cross to the chin halfway through the round. Mendez continued to walk after him with little offense.

In the fourth through the sixth round Peterson continued using his speed of hand and foot making Mendez frustrated walking into punches. In the seventh round Peterson continued controlling the fight though Mendez finally scored punches when inside but not enough to win the round.

In the eighth and ninth rounds Mendez made it a fight as Peterson’s punch count lowered and his left eye was a little swollen. In the tenth and final round Mendez landed a triple jab followed by a right to the chin. Peterson kept moving in a close round.

Scores were Hazzard 96-94 Peterson, Gradowski 96-94 Mendez and Wallace 95-95. This writer had it 97-93 Peterson. Peterson took it well while Mendez was upset he didn’t win.

Super welterweight southpaw Jamontay “The Quiet Assassin” Clark, 14-1 (7), of Cinn., OH, defeated southpaw Vernon “Subzero” Brown, 10-1-1 (7), of Chicago, IL, over 10 rounds.

In the first round the taller Clark landed a double right hook to the chin. His jab controlled the round. In the second round Clark landed four punches to the head without return. Two southpaws against one another usually doesn’t make for a good fight. Brown cannot get inside Clarks reach.

In the third round a right hook from Brown almost put Clark through the ropes. Referee Chevalier took time getting Brown to a neutral corner before giving Clark and standing 8 count. Brown then jumped on Clark looking like it might be stopped until Clarks head cleared and took control.

In the fourth round it was all Clark until the final ten seconds when Brown rocked Clark with a right hook on the chin having him in trouble making him hold until the bell. In the sixth round Brown knocked out the mouthpiece of Clark. He chased Clark from that point on.

In the seventh round Clark got the better of an exchange in the first of a minute. Brown continued the chase and got the best of Clark when stopped running. In the eighth round Clark countered but Brown chased and did well when he caught up to him especially with the right hook in a close round.

In the ninth round Brown got Clark backed into a corner working the body well. Both fighters had slowed down at that point but were throwing leather. In the tenth and final round Clark starts the round using his jab well while back pedaling. Brown at the middle point got Clark on the ropes getting the better of it.

Scores were Hazzard, Jr. and Wallace 97-93 and Braslow 96-94 for the winner while this writer had it 96-93 for the loser.

In the opening bout Lightweight southpaw Cobia Breedy, 12-0 (4), of Barbados and Hyattsville, MD, Fernando “Chukito” Fuentes, 14-7-1 (4), of Hemet, CA,

In the first round Breedy goes from southpaw to orthodox getting the best of Fuentes in a wild swinging round especially southpaw. In the second round Fuentes goes well to the body. Breedy landed his best punch so far a left hook to the chin of Fuentes.

In the third round Fuentes walked into a Breedy overhand right on the chin. Breedy warned for hitting behind the back. Fuentes does the pressing landing a while left hook to the chin. He then missed with a left hook and got countered by a right from Breedy on the chin. In the fourth round Fuentes used his longer reach landing a combination to the chin.

In the fifth round Fuentes continues to lung in swinging wildly and got hit on the bridge of his nose by a Breedy right opening a small cut. In round six Breedy lunged into Fuentes banging heads causing a nasty cut on the eyebrow of Fuentes causing the fight to come to an early end by referee Dave Braslow in a scheduled 8.

Scores at the stoppage were 59-55 and 58-56 twice same as this writer at 58-56.

Middleweight Brandon “Bulldog” Quarles, 21-5-1 (10), of Alexandria, VA, lost by split decision to southpaw Aaron Coley, 16-2-1 (7), of Hayward, CA, over 8 rounds.

In the first round southpaw Coley landed a lead left to the chin of Quarles. The smaller Quarles fought out of a crouch while Coley prior to the bell again landed a straight lead left on the chin. In the second round Coley kept waiting for Quarles to come to him and countered him every time.

In the third round Coley continued to pick Quarles apart with his jab and straight left to the chin. Halfway through the round Quarles finally landed a short right to the chin and again just prior to the bell. In the fourth round Quarles kept coming in low with hands high when Coley landed a hard left to the ribs. Coley ended the round with a solid left to the chin.

In the sixth round Coley rocked Quarles with a right uppercut on the chin knocking the head back. Coley continued outboxing Quarles. In the seventh round Quarles landed a solid left hook to the chin in the first half minute. Coley’s best offense besides his jab was his left uppercut to the body.

In the eighth and final round Quarles knowing he is behind is throwing right hands with one landing on the chin at the halfway point of the round. Coley landed a right hook to the chin catching Quarles coming in.

Scores were 77-75 Quarles, 79-73 and 78-74 Coley as did this writer 78-74 Coley. Coley and the rest of us were surprised with Quarles getting a nod.

Super welterweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson, 3-0 (2), of Baltimore, MD, defeated Jaime Meza, 0-1 (0), of NIC out of Compton, CA, over 4 rounds.

In the first round both fighters missed while Meza did a 360 when Simpson dropped with a left on the chin within seconds of the start. Simpson is a nephew of Rahman. In the second round Meza landed a wild right to the head followed by several more punches. Simpson is countering well against Meza who continues to come forward.

In the third round Simpson continues to box well while there is no quit in Meza. In the fourth and final round Meza is throwing bombs knowing he is behind. Simpson finally goes to the body of the hands held high Meza. Simpson got a warning from referee Kenny Chevalier for low blow. Simpson landed a right hook followed by a left to the chin of Meza.

Scores were 40-36, 40-35 twice as did this writer have it 40-35.

Posted on 03/21/2019

By: Ken Hissner

The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill MD will be the host site for Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) event on Sunday, March 24th. TGB Promotions (Tom Brown) and DiBella Entertainment (Lou DiBella) are the lead promoters for Sunday’s card and bring the return of the Peterson brothers on FOX Sports 1.

Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions

In the Main Event former WBC-IBF Super Lightweight and former WBA Welterweight Champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, 35-4-1 (17) of D.C. takes on former WBC Super Lightweight Champion Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets, 14-1 (10), of KAZ/Beverly Hills, CA, in a 12 round welterweight match-up.

Peterson last fought in January of 2018 when he lost to current IBF Welterweight Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence. Lipinets, after losing to Mikey Garcia in March of 2018, went on to defeat Eric Bone in August. The winner looks to return to the rankings.

In the co-feature Anthony “Hazardous” Peterson, 37-1 (24), of D.C. takes on Dominican Argenis Mendez, 25-5-1 (12), of Brooklyn, NY, in a super lightweight 10. Peterson last fought in January of 2018 having an eight fight winning streak stopped with a no contest. Mendez is coming off a pair of big wins over Eddie “El Escorpion” Ramirez, 17-1, and Ivan Redkach, 20-2-1.

The undercard features super welterweight Jamontay “Quiet Assasin” Clark, 13-1, and former WBC Super Middleweight champion Cameroon’s Sakio “Scorpion” Bika, 34-7-3 (22), out of Australia who last fought in October of 2017 winning his last two bouts in separate bouts in a 10. Three other bouts will fill out the 62 round card.

Posted on 12/06/2018

By: Sean Crose

“This week is definitely the last week of hard work,” rising superfeatherweight Lamont Roach tells me over the phone. We’re only ten days away from his fight against 15-1-1 Alberto Mercado at Madison Square Garden, but the 17-0-1 Roach seems easygoing and confident. The Mercado fight, which will appear as part of the Canelo Alvarez – Rocky Fielding DAZN card, is for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. In other words, it’s another stepping stone on the Washington DC native’s rise to the top. “Training’s going good,” he says, adding that “it feels great” to be back at Madison Square Garden, one of the top places on earth for a boxer to build a reputation.

Photo Credit: Lamont Roach Twitter Account

Roach admits that the time may come where he may have to leave home base to train for his bouts. At the moment, however, he and his team are comfortable doing their prep work in familiar territory. “Training camp was home in D.C.,” he says. “We didn’t have too many distractions.” The more a fighter rises, however, the more his every move can be visible to the public at large…and Roach is already earning a solid fan base for himself. There’s “two private buses, fifty-five seaters,” filled with Roach fans heading to New York for the Mercado fight, after all. Plus, Roach adds there’s “a lot of family” that will be going to New York on their own to watch the battle.

Part of the appeal of Roach is his winning personality, though he admits that it hasn’t been difficult to charm the boxing public to date. “I haven’t gotten my feathers ruffled yet,” he admits. Such things, however, may eventually come with the territory occupied by a fighter on the way up. Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Roach, is quite aware of the pitfalls of rising fame, yet obviously feels Roach is up to the challenge. “I appreciate everything that Golden Boy has done for me,” Roach says. “I reward them by working (hard).”

Mercado will be the second southpaw in a row that Roach has faced. Roach feels confident facing another lefty. “It’s becoming kind of natural,” he says of the ability to successfully engage with southpaws. “Whatever they throw in front of us, we’re ready.” Roach realizes that, should he win on the 15th, the road to bigger things will be wide open. “Right now,” says Roach, “we’re focused on the 15th.” Roach is aware, however, of exactly where he stands and where he wants to be. “We’re ranked number five by the WBO,” he says. The man is looking forward to a shot at a championship.

“I’ll be one of the better champions,” he says, adding that, unlike some, he’ll be sure to “be active,” after he reaches the top of his division.

Posted on 07/20/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar de La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on ESPN hosted Upper Marlboro, MD, WBC Youth Silver Super Featherweight champ Lamont Roach. Roach held on to his undefeated status and gained his second title the vacant WBO International title.

Super Featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr., 17-0-1 (7), from Washington, DC took on southpaw Deivi Julio “El Cabo” Bassa, 20-5 (12), of Monteira, COL, for the vacant WBO International Super Featherweight title. The bout was scheduled for 10 rounds.

Photo Credit: Miguel Rocha/Melissa Cervera/Luzairem Torres

In the opening round, it was all Roach. He used his jab to offset Bassa. As the ten second to go in the round sounded from the timekeeper Roach landed his best punch of the round a right to the chin of Bassa. In the second round, Roach continued boxing well but got hit by a left to the mid-section by Bassa. Roach came back with a right to the head of Bassa spinning him halfway around.

In the third round, Bassa landed a lead uppercut to the mid-section of Roach. A lead right followed by a glancing left to the head was followed by a right from Roach dropping Bassa. Roach jumped on Bassa who tried fighting back at the bell. In the fourth round, it was all Roach once again. At the end of the round, Roach had Bassa holding on at the bell. Bassa hardly landed a punch in the round.

In the fifth round, Roach continued pressing Bassa landing a big right to the head of Bassa. Roach has been looking for a knockout since the knockdown in the third round. Roach landed a hard right to the ribs of Bassa halfway through the round. Roach landed a left hook to the liver making Bassa’s legs wobble. In the sixth round, Bassa landed a low right giving Roach a little time to re-coup. Bassa slipped onto his butt and looked exhausted after getting up with seconds to go in the round. Bassa’s corner didn’t allow him to come out for the seventh. Roach won every round.

In a re-match Super Bantamweight southpaw Alexis Bastar, 11-1-1 (5), of Quintana Roo, Cancun, MEX, edged out Rigoberto Nava, 3-3-4 (0), of Mexico City, MEX, over 6 non-stop fighting rounds.

In the first round both boxers slugged it out non-stop inside from the opening bell with little to choose between the two of them. In the second round the slugfest continued. Bastar landed a right hook behind the head that stunned Nava. He was warned but the damage was already done.
In the third round Bastar landed a combination that rattled the head of Nava. Midway through the round Nava started going to the body of Bastar. It was a good round for Bastar. In the fourth round the referee took a point from Bastar who had been on the receiving end of low blows without warning.

In the fifth round Bastar took command obviously being upset from losing a point in the previous round. He had control until the final seconds of the round when Nava opened up. In the sixth and final round with the fight up for grabs both fighters gave it their all. Bastar rocked Nava with a left uppercut to the chin with a minute left in the round. There couldn’t have been a total of a dozen jabs in the entire fight. The referee was Jose Pacheco.

Scores were 57-56 by all three judges and this writer.

In the co-feature the former IBF Super Flyweight champion now a Featherweight southpaw Juan Carlos “Zurdito” Sanchez, Jr., 24-6-1 (11), of Sinaloa, MEX, defeated Florentino ”Violento” Perez, 11-4-1 (7), of Monterrey, MEX, over 8 rounds.

In the first round the more experienced and taller former champion Sanchez had his way pressing Perez. Perez hardly landed a punch. In the second round Hernandez rocked Sanchez with a counter right. Perez threw a right that wrapped around the head of Sanchez and a clash of heads Perez caused Sanchez to go down. The referee Florentino Lopez Cruz called it a knockdown. Both fighters exchanged uppercuts to the chin of one another just prior at the bell.

In the third round Sanchez came fighting back but not with taking several rights to the head. It was Sanchez taking the round at the end. In the fourth round Sanchez continued to have control with quite a bit of body shots from both fighters.

In the fifth round Sanchez continued working the body of Perez. Sanchez landed numerous right hooks to the head of Perez in the second half of the round. In the seventh round Sanchez continued to get the best of Perez but took several lead rights to the head. In the eighth and final round at the halfway point a right hook from Sanchez rocked the durable Perez. In the final minute, Perez had his mouth open gasping for air.

The scores were 76-75, 77-74 and 78-73 as did this writer.

Posted on 07/18/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions is featuring Lamont Roach who not only intends on extending his unbeaten streak to eighteen but to pick up the vacant WBO International Super Featherweight title Friday on ESPN.

Roach, 16-0-1 (6), of Upper Marlboro, MD, is coming off a draw with Orlando Cruz, 25-6-1, in April in Puerto Rico. He will be taking on southpaw Deivi Julio “El Cabo” Bassa, 20-4 (12), of Monteira, Colombia, for the title in a 10 rounder.

Photo Credit: Lamont Roach Jr. Twitter Account

The event will be held at the Grand Oasis Arena, Quintana Roo, Cancun, Mexico. Roach had quite an amateur career with over 100 fights. In 2013 he was the National Golden Gloves and the U.S. National champion. He was a 5-time Ringside World Champion. He is trained by his father, Lamont, Sr. and is attending the University of Maryland, pursing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Bassa won his first seventeen fights with ten by knockout all in Colombia. Then a losing trip to Japan to Kenji Ogawa, 15-1, who in December fought for the IBF world title. In Bassa’s last fight he scored a knockout win in February in his country of Colombia.

Bassa’s biggest wins were over Franklin Varela, 21-9, in 2013 and Edison Valencia Diaz, 21-12, in 2015, both in Colombia. In 2017 against Neslan Machado, 11-0, it ended in a NC, in making his US debut in Miami, FL.

In the co-feature Junior Featherweight southpaw Alexis Bastar, 10-1-1 (8), of Qunitana Roo, Cancun, MEX, is coming off a win in April. He takes on Rigoberto Nava, 3-2-4 (0), of Mexico City, MEX, who has four draws in his last five fights. This is including a majority decision draw with Bastar in November of 2017.

2012 London Olympics Bronze Medalist and 2014 World Amateur Gold Medalist Flyweight Marlen Esparza, 5-0 (1), of Houston, TX, takes on Debora “La Pantera” Rengifo, 10-5-1 (5), of Caracas, VZ, a two-time world title challenger, over 8×2 rounds.

Middleweight Manuel “El Meno” Gallegos, 11-0 (10), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, MEX, meets tba over 6 rounds. He is on a three fight knockout streak having last fought in March with all eleven of his fights being in Mexico.

Posted on 01/20/2018

By: Ken Hissner

At the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, NY, Saturday over Showtime Boxing and PBC, two IBF World champions were featured and promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

IBF Welterweight champion and former Olympian southpaw “The Truth” Errol Spence, Jr., 23-0 (20), of Dallas, TX, stopped former IBF World, WBA Super World Super Lightweight champion and WBA Super World welterweight champion now No. 5 contender Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, 35-4-1 (17), of D.C., who was returning after an eleven month of inactivity, at the end of the seventh round.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

In the first round after half a minute Spence landed a chopping left hand to the chin of Peterson. Spence goes to the body and head with Peterson standing right in front of him defense minded. It was a lopsided round for Spence. In the second round Peterson countered a right hook by Spence to a left to the body. Spence landed a 3-punch combination hurting Peterson with a minute left in the round. Peterson landed his best punch of the round a left hook to the head of Spence with half a minute left in the round.

In the third round Spence started with a right hook and overhand left to the chin of Peterson. Spence continues landing good body shots. Peterson landed left hooks to the head of Spence who complained they were behind the head. Just prior to the bell Spence landed a straight left to the head of Peterson who countered with a left hook to the head of Spence. In the fourth round top Referee Harvey Dock warned Spence of landing a low blow. Peterson and Spence take turns being the aggressor. Spence kept using combinations well. Peterson landed a good right hand countered by a Spence left.

In the fifth round Peterson came charging out landing several punches hand from Spence to the side of the head dropped Peterson. Under a minute left in the round and Spence landed half a dozen punches without return from Peterson. The last 30 seconds both boxers went at it throwing punches.

In the sixth round a lead left from Peterson landed through the defense of Peterson. Spence landed a 3-punch combination. Peterson’s best punch has been a left hook. Peterson started back pedaling for the first time in the fight with a minute left. Peterson’s left eye under the eye brow started swelling. His corner took a good look and didn’t like what they were seeing. The ring physician came in to take a look at that eye.

In the seventh round Spence came out looking for a knockout landing many more punches than the back pedaling Peterson. It was a big round for Spence. The corner of Peterson stopped the fight before the round started in the eighth round.

Julie Lederman, Don Trella and Steve Weisfeld were the judges. This writer had it 70-62 at the end.

“I want to thank Lamont Peterson for taking this fight while others turned it down. He is a tough fighter who still wanted to continue at the end. You are going to see an improved fighter every time I enter the ring. Keith Thurman has to get in there with me,” said Spence. “I don’t question my trainer (Barry Hunter) when he stopped the fight. Spence is the best fighter I have met,” said Peterson.

IBF Lightweight champion Robert Easter, Jr., 21-0 (14), of Toledo, OH, defeated the former WBA Super Featherweight champion and now No. 13 contender southpaw Dominican Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna, 31-2-1 ??? of Braintree, MASS, by split decision in a non-title bout due to Fortuna being over weight.

In the first round used his height advantage using an effective jab and lead right hands to the chin of Fortuna. At the halfway mark Fortuna missed three punches but landed the fourth with a left uppercut to the chin of Easter. In the second round Fortuna held Easter behind the neck while hitting with the left hand three times. Referee Ricky Gonzalez was yelling “stop, stop, stop” instead of getting in quick enough to break them up. Shortly later with Easter‘s head through the ropes Fortuna hit him which cost him a point by Referee Gonzalez who once again got there too late. Easter kept the pressure on Fortuna backing him into the corner landed a good left hook.

In the third round Easter backed Fortuna into the ropes landing a solid right to the chin of Fortuna. Fortuna came back landing solid left hands and roughing up Easter in a close round. In the fourth round it was another close one with Easter pulling it out while Fortuna does too much holding. In the fifth round Easter had Fortuna against the ropes landing a flurry of punches primarily left hooks to the head.

In the sixth round Fortuna did a step around landing a good right hook to the head of Easter. Fortuna continues his dirty tactics of holding and pulling down Easter’s head then leaning on him. Easter landed a long right hand to the chin but Fortuna landed a counter left hand to the chin rocking Easter.

In the seventh round both boxers were talking to one another to “come on!” Easter clearly took the round. In the eighth round Easter used his jab and reach more than at anytime in the fight keeping Fortuna at bay. It was a big round for Easter.

In the ninth round Easter continued out working Fortuna. Easter landing nice lead jabs to the chin of Fortuna. When Easter comes in low that is when Fortuna pulls his head down and ties him up. In the tenth round both let loose with punches at the start of the round unlike previously in the bout. Fortuna lands a good body shot which there was very little of during the fight by both boxers. While on the ropes it was Fortuna out working Easter right up until the bell.

In the eleventh round it continued to have Fortuna on the ropes but landing well. Coming in over weight may be the reason for the back pedaling Fortuna to spend so much time on the ropes. Fortuna came forward and landed a combination that seemed to surprise Easter. Both had words at the bell. Fortuna may have pulled out the round.

In the twelfth and final round inside of the first round Easter rocked Fortuna with a left hook to the chin. Halfway through the final round Fortuna is back pedaling instead of throwing punches. Fortuna continues to come in roughing up Easter inside. Whenever Easter comes in low he gets tied up. Referee Gonzalez warned him about coming in with his head.

Judge Glenn Feldman scored it 114-113 for Easter, John McKaie 114-113 for Fortuna and Kevin Morgan 115-112 for Easter. This writer had it 116-111 Easter.

The best Ring Announcer in the business “It’s Showtime” Jimmy Lennon, Jr. did his usual great job. Fortuna did much too much holding to have won the fight. For some reason Showtime announced future fights on their network along with two of them that have been cancelled in the Danny Garcia fight and the Mikey Garcia fight with their opponents pulling out with injuries.

Light Heavyweight southpaw “Sir” Marcus Browne, 21-0 (15), of Staten Island, NY, stopped Francy Ntetu, 17-2 (4), of Congo and CAN, at 2:15 of the first round.

Heavyweight Adam Kownacki, 17-0 (14), of Lomza, POL, and Brooklyn, NY, stopped Iago Kiladze, 26-2 (18), of Sachkere, GEO, at 2:48 of the sixth round.

Anthony Peterson, 38-1 (24), of Memphis, TN, shut out Columbia’s Louis Eduardo Florez, 23-9 (19) over 10 rounds.

Posted on 01/19/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions will televise one of the first big fights of 2018 on the Showtime Network.

Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. will defend his IBF Welterweight Title against the entertaining and always tough Lamont Peterson in the main event of the night. The co-main event will be between Robert Easter Jr. and Javier Fortuna for the IBF Lightweight Title.

Photo Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime

Errol Spence has been calling out all the top welterweights and Lamont Peterson is one of the few to answer his call. A victory for either could lead to a welterweight unification fight with Keith Thurman.

The following is a preview of both televised world title bouts.

Robert Easter Jr. (20-0) vs. Javier Fortuna (33-1-1); IBF Lightweight Title

This bout was supposed to be for the IBF Lightweight Title, but Javier Fortuna came in at 136.8lbs during the weigh ins and had two hours to lose the two pounds for fight for the belt. It appeared unlikely that he will make it.

Easter is twenty six years old and two years younger than Fortuna. He will also have a very large five inch height advantage and a seven and a half inch reach advantage.

Both boxers had a successful amateur career, but Easter was able to become an Olympic alternate for the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Fortuna has the edge in power. He has stopped twenty three of his opponents while Robert Easter only stopped fourteen of his opponents. Easter has been fairly active and fought twice in 2017 and twice in 2016. Fortuna was able to fight twice in 2017 and three times in 2016.

Fortuna has spent most of his career fighting in the super featherweight division so size will be an issue for him. His lone loss was a shocking TKO loss to Jason Sosa in Beijing in June of 2016. He has defeated the likes of Omar Douglas, Marlyn Cabrera, Carlos Velasquez, Bryan Vasquez, Patrick Hyland, Yuandale Evans, and Abner Cotto.

Easter has never tasted defeat as a professional but won a close bout against Denis Shafikov in his last bout. He has defeated the likes of Luis Cruz, Richard Commey, Argenis Mendez, and Juan Solis.

The fact that Fortuna failed to make weight his first time on the scale is concerning, especially since he’s used to competing at a lighter weight class. Robert Easter’s size and reach advantage will be too much for Fortuna to overcome.

Errol Spence Jr. (22-0) vs. Lamont Peterson (35-3-1); IBF Welterweight Title

Errol “The Truth” Spence is one of the welterweight division’s biggest stars. Many consider him to be the next kingpin of the division post Pacquiao and Mayweather. His opponent, Lamont Peterson, is always in a good fight but this may be his last chance at a world title.

Spence is in the middle of his athletic prime at twenty seven and is six years older than Lamont Peterson. They have the same reach and Spence will have a slight one inch reach advantage on Peterson.

Spence has the edge in power and speed. He has stopped nineteen of his opponents, and is currently riding a nine fight stoppage streak. Peterson has only stopped seventeen of his opponents, and only one stoppage victory in his past five fights.

Peterson was a national golden gloves champion and experienced moderate success on the world stage as an amateur. Spence was also a national golden gloves champion, but he also was a member of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Spence has looked sensational recently, but only competed once in 2017 and twice in 2016. He has defeated the likes of Kell Brook, Leonard Bundu, Chris Algieri, Chris Van Heerden, Phil Lo Greco, and Ronald Cruz.

Peterson has not been so active and fought once in 2017 and twice in 2015. He has defeated the likes of David Avanesyan, Felix Diaz, Dierry Jean, Kendall Holt, and Amir Khan. His losses were to Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, and Timothy Bradley Jr.

Peterson’s biggest issue is his consistency. When he’s aggressive to the body he looks, at times, unstoppable. But as evident in his fight with Danny Garcia, he can be a slow starter and that often hurts him on the scorecards.

Peterson was impressed with Spence’s victory against Kell Brook. “”Errol even taking the Kell Brook fight was impressive to me. Most guys in his position take their time leading up to the first title shot, but he ended up fighting someone in his prime in his country. To will himself to that win was very impressive.”

Spence has looked untouchable and was very impressive in his fight against Kell Brook, in Kell Brook’s backyard.

Even Spence appears to know Peterson is a real challenge. He stated, “”I think it’s going to turn into a war. A lot of people have thought this would be an easy fight for me. But if you follow Lamont Peterson, you know this will be tough. He’s always in great shape and has a lot of skills. IT might be a dog fight and that’s what I wanted. He’s the guy who wanted to fight and I said of course. It’s going to be a rugged fight. Later on in the fights, he always gets rough and stands toe-to-toe.”

Even if Peterson is fighting at his best for all twelve rounds, it’s hard to imagine him beating Errol Spence.

Posted on 01/18/2018

By Eric Lunger

Errol Spence, Jr. is a three-time amateur national champion. He was a 2012 Olympian reaching the quarter finals in the welterweight division. Turning professional seven years ago, he is undefeated in twenty-two fights and has scored nineteen KOs. He is ranked number eight in the world in Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound list, and number two at welterweight.

Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions

These are impressive facts, but to gauge how good Errol Spence, Jr. is, we have to go back to May of last year, when he traveled to Sheffield, England, to face the experienced IBF welterweight champion, Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs). Spence took home the belt, stopping the British champion in the eleventh round, and showed a mature mastery of all areas of the sweet science.

Despite a thunderous home crowd and massive stage, Spence was calm and poised, relaxed even. His ring IQ is so high that he always seems to anticipate what his opponent is going to do. No movement wasted, everything under control – Errol looked at times like he was sparring in his home gym, not facing one of the best welterweights in a hostile stadium.

Here are some of his strengths. Spence has quick and precise footwork, which in turn means he can control the distance from which he fights and the style in which he fights. He is a southpaw with an excellent jab, and behind that jab is world-class hand speed and punching accuracy. Spence’s defense is also highly technical, utilizing a high guard from which he can counter punch effectively.

Spence is rightly known for being one of the best body punchers in the division, and it showed in the Brook fight. He was also able to switch styles at ease, sometimes fighting on his back foot and countering, sometimes walking Brook down, and sometimes getting inside and fighting in the phone booth. Spence also showed excellent conditioning and pacing in the Brook fight, hitting a new and higher gear in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh rounds, a gear that the Sheffield fighter could not match.

Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect fighter. Where is Spence vulnerable? Maybe against a more athletic puncher – like Thurman, or even Peterson – Spence’s technical skills could be nullified. Peterson might need to get inside, lean on Spence, muscle him, in order to get the younger man off his game. Brook had some success leaning on Spence, holding and wearing him out, and working the body. In short, turning the fight into a brawl rather than a boxing match might be one way (the only way?) to negate Spence’s skill level.

Spence has never been in real trouble and had to fight his way out. He has never been on the canvas as a professional. The flipside of Spence’s poise and calm in the ring is that he can get casual and too comfortable, as he did in the sixth round of the Brook fight, where Brook caught the American and put him in momentary difficulty.

Then there are the intangibles: focus, resilience, drive, mental preparation, late-round confidence. Nothing in Spence’s career so far has shown that he has anything less than the highest ability in all these categories. Errol Spence, Jr. is an elite-level boxer and a world champion. How good can he be? He will take another step toward that answer this Saturday night against Lamont Peterson, live on Showtime starting at 9:00 PM.

Posted on 12/01/2017

By: Eric Lunger

The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, was the venue for Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN this evening, and featured undefeated prospect Lamont Roach, Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) in a ten-round super featherweight bout against Filipino Rey Perez (21-8, 6 KOs). Roach, 22, the hometown Maryland fighter with an extensive amateur background, brought a technical and polished style into the ring. Perez, a determined and veteran orthodox fighter, was making his debut in the United States.

Undefeated Super Featherweight prospect Lamont Roach, Jr. (Right) lands a right hand en route to a unanimous decision victory over Rey Perez (Left) on November 30, 2017 in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Round one was a professional feeling-out round with Roach landing the more effective jabs. In the second, Perez erupted with a body attack in the latter half of the round. While Roach caught a lot of the punches on his arms, Perez let Roach know he came to compete. In the third, the poised and patient Roach landed several good combinations, bringing the crowd to life. The fourth saw Roach’s hand speed and accuracy start to dictate the direction of the fight, and forcing Perez to keep his hands at home. In the middle rounds, Roach’s skill level began to really show, allowing him to catch Perez with consistent power shots. Game and none daunted, Perez continued to come forward but the punches were taking their toll.

The seventh round erupted with some fierce exchanges in the last thirty seconds, but the Filipino took the majority of the damage. In the late rounds, despite the pressure of fighting in front of his home fans, Roach remained poised and professional, fighting behind his jab and show a full kit of offensive tools. It was an impressive, elite level performance by Roach against a tough and gritty Perez. The judges scored it unanimously nine rounds to one for Roach.

In the co-main event, Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (19-1, 14 KOs) took on Avery Sparrow (8-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia in a ten-rounder at the super featherweight limit. Lopez, 23, is five-foot-nine, tall and rangy with good knockout power. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, Lopez is aggressive and prone to taking risks in the ring. Sparrow, also 23, was the less experienced fighter, and taking on Lopez presented a significant challenge.

Sparrow started fast, throwing a jab on differing planes and seeking to land a wide right around Lopez’s high guard. Lopez, for his part, remained patient and content to take the measure of his opponent. The Puerto Rican fighter was more active in the second, but Sparrow’s activity and awkward style forced Lopez to keep his hands home. Sparrow’s offense came to life in the fourth round, landing two straight rights and a good left hook. Lopez was still unable to time Sparrow or combat his dipping head movement.

Round six was Sparrow’s best, with his confidence and ring showmanship growing with each successful combination. His movement, his jab, his aggression, his shoulder roll defense – all were too much for Lopez, who could not find the necessary adjustments in the ring. Despite the deficit in experience, it was Sparrow who put on a clinic, and Lopez who looked confused and tentative. After a full ten rounds, the judges saw it 96-94, 96-94, 97-93 unanimously for the Philadelphia fighter, Avery Sparrow.

The undercard featured Manuel Avila (22-1, 8 KOs) taking on Diuhl Olguin (11-8-3, 9 KOs) of Mexico in an eight-round featherweight bout. Avila, fighting out of Vallejo, CA, was looking to bounce back after his first defeat last May at the hands of undefeated Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz.

Avila fought a controlled and patient bout, while Olguin gave him plenty of challenges to figure out, mounting a decent body attack with the left hook and occasionally switching to the southpaw stance. Avila piled up rounds but certainly never dominated his opponent, even cruising a bit in the seventh. The fight went to the cards after eight: Avila took the unanimous decision 77-75, 78-74, 78-74.

Posted on 06/22/2017

Boxing with First State Pro Boxing Series Friday in New Castle, DE!
By: Ken Hissner

Dee Lee Promotions, LLC & Night Night Promotions, Inc. continues to keep boxing in the limelight with the second show in the state in 3 years this Friday at the Nur Shrine Temple at 198 S. Dupont Hwy in New Castle, DE.

Diane Lee Fischer Cristiano of Dee Lee Promotions has promoted over 75 shows and is joining first time promoters “Joltin” Joey Tiberi, Jr. and Todd Mulvena of Night Night Promotions. Tiberi will be in the main event with Lamont “The Problem Solver” Singletary in the co-feature. There will be 7 additional bouts scheduled for a total of 40 rounds.

At a press conference Monday at Hooters in Glen Mills, PA, Nino Del Buono was the MC with the 3 promoters in attendance. Tiberi has always had a large following as an undercard boxer and will finally get to be the main boxer for this event.

Tiberi is 14-2 (7), from Newark, DE, and will be featured in a 6 round lightweight bout. Singletary, 8-2 (5), will be in the other 6 round bout at cruiserweight.

In 4 round bouts will be Jamaican southpaw middleweight Anthony Miller, 3-2 (3), of Wilmington, cruiserweight ReuelWiliams, 7-1 (2), of Wilmington, Felix “The Dangerous Dominican”Manzuesta, Michael “The Hammer” Crain, Maurice Horne all DE boxers making their debut, Josue Rivera of Philadelphia and Edgar Cortes of Vineland, NJ.

Del Buono introduced Diane “as the most honest promoter in the business!”

“I’ve done 75 shows around the world and will be joining Joey Tiberi, Jr., and Todd Mulvena and feel it’s important to help keep the kids off the streets. It was my daddy’s dream who is now 95 and with the help of my husband Leo I can continue,” said Fischer. She is an inductee in the NJ BHOF.

Tiberi won by first round kayo in February on the Roy Jones, Jr.-Bobby Gunn undercard. Singletary did the same on the same card. Miller is returning for the first time in a year, Williams returns after almost 5 years, Maurice Horne, son of well-known DE trainerRon Horne will be making his debut after having 30 fights in the amateurs, Crain has had 13, Rivera has 11 fights all ending in kayo but one.
Doors open at 6pm and first bout at 7pm. Tickets are priced at a modest $45 advance / $50 at the door Ringside $60 advance $65 at the door, VIP seats $75.00.

Posted on 03/11/2017

Barry Hunter Interview: “To have gone through what they went through and still be standing, is outstanding.”

By: Matthew N. Becher

​Barry Hunter is a world class trainer out of the Bald Eagle Gym in Washington D.C. He is the trainer for World Champion Lamont Peterson, among many others. Hunter is an old school coach who is emotionally invested in his pupils. He can be seen in many of his fighter’s corners giving inspirational pep talks, even going so far as smacking a fighter to “wake up” in the middle of a bout.

Photo Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime

​We were lucky enough to speak with Barry about his star fighters, The Peterson Brothers, as Lamont begins a comeback in the Welterweight division and how the two linked up with their eventual Mentor and trainer.

Boxing Insider: How long have you been training Lamont Peterson?

Barry Hunter: Ever since he was 10 yrs. old. He’s 33, so that is 23 years ago.

Boxing Insider: And how did you guys hook up initially?

Barry Hunter: His brother in Law was the one that initially brought him to the gym. He is, Patrice Harris, who is actually my right hand in the corner. So Patrice was the one that brought Lamont to me.

Boxing Insider: You also train his brother, Anthony?

Barry Hunter: I went to pick Lamont up one day and he, with a few of his siblings ran downstairs with him. Anthony was the one that showed interest towards boxing, so I was the one that brought him with us to the gym.

Boxing Insider: How quickly, training a 10 year old Lamont Peterson, did it take to know that he had something special?

Barry Hunter: The first day. The first day that I trained him, I trained him extremely hard. I would show him a combination or a punch, and if he got it wrong, he would get it right on the second go. But I knew he had something different. His comprehension skills were, at that age, unusual to me.

Boxing Insider: Have you ever seen anything like that before or after, with other kids?

Barry Hunter: After, maybe once or twice. But he was the first that I’ve ever seen like that before.

Boxing Insider: When taking him up the amateur ranks, how good was he?

Barry Hunter: He was definitely a special fighter throughout the amateurs. He had a stellar amateur career. He won many national titles, he was a member of the US team. He was voted athlete of the year, throughout all the sports by the Olympic committee. He was a member of the Pan Am team. Also fought in the Olympic Trials.

Boxing Insider: The Peterson brother’s early life is pretty well documented as being a very rough one. What happened with them as kids?

Barry Hunter: That is a true story. Their mother was in a bad way, which could happen to anybody. And they found themselves homeless at one time. They literally grew up surviving in the streets. They eventually went into foster care. I actually met him, shortly after he got out of foster care.

Boxing Insider: How did boxing “save” Lamont? He could have ended up in a number of other situations.

Barry Hunter: It was a way to express himself. It was an outlet for him and his brother. They could get out whatever inner anger they had. They are special individuals. I look at them as more spiritual then anything. To have gone through what they went through and still be standing, twenty something years later to me is outstanding. The average person would have broken down a long time ago, but they found a way to thrive throughout.

Posted on 03/03/2017

Lamont Peterson Interview: “I just love to fight, and regardless of who I’m fighting, I want to be at the top level”
By: Matthew N. Becher

​Lamont Peterson is a former IBF and WBA Jr. Welterweight World Champion. He has been in the ring with the likes of Tim Bradley Jr., Victor Ortiz, Amir Khan, and Danny Garcia. Peterson has recently moved up to the Welterweight division and just recently on February 18th, won the WBA regular world title by outpointing David Avanesyan. This win puts Peterson in a very good position for a big fight this year, especially after this weekend’s unification between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. We were able to speak with the champ a little about moving up in weight, his future in the sport and the possibility of him fighting his longtime friend Adrien Broner.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/Showtime

Boxing Insider: You lost in 2015, in a very controversial decision against Danny Garcia. Since then you have moved up in weight and have fought a couple guys who are not as big of names as you were fighting. What has changed in that time?

Lamont Peterson: Nothing really, that’s just the business of boxing. Things just turned out that way. I don’t think it was any particular reason. I had opportunities to fight in bigger fights, but things just didn’t always work out.

Boxing Insider: So was it more of a promotional problem?

Lamont Peterson: Unfortunately with certain situations, just sometimes it’s just the way it is. It could be a problem with the promotion side or training or anything. Management, sometimes doesn’t work out. Sometimes certain guys just choose to fight other guys.

Boxing Insider: How is the higher weight working? How do you feel fighting at the higher weight?

Lamont Peterson: I like fighting at the higher weight. That extra seven pounds helps because of energy, strength and I can focus more throughout the training camp, without having to put extra time into making weight.

Boxing Insider: Does the endurance keep up at 147?

Lamont Peterson: Oh yeah, I feel like my endurance is actually better. Especially trying to get down to 140, I was experiencing body cramps.

Boxing Insider: You said recently that you would never fight Adrien Broner. You two are very close friends, but you are not related by blood and it’s a fight that fans may really want to see, since you both moved up to 147. Could it ever change, and you two may fight?

Lamont Peterson: What I said was, it is highly unlikely, is basically what I’m saying. Boxing is a business and if it makes sense, other than my brother (Anthony), damn right I’ll fight him. At the same time, I just don’t see it happening.

Boxing Insider: You’ve been with Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon since its beginning. What are your thoughts of its impact to the boxing world so far?

Lamont Peterson: I think it’s doing a good job at the things that PBC was setting out for. I think it is still heading in the right direction, I don’t think it’s over. It is definitely bringing more boxing fans and an audience from people that normally wouldn’t be watching boxing. I think it’s doing a great job and will probably do a better job in the future. I’m just happy to be a part of it and anything I can do to improve it, I will try.

Boxing Insider: You’ve won a world championship. You are 33 years old. What are your future goals right now?

Lamont Peterson: Just to compete at the highest level. Not too worried about fighting for titles, but just fighting the best competition at the Welterweight division. I’ll be happy with that. I’m not going to be a name chaser. I just love to fight, and regardless of who I’m fighting, I want to be at the top level. I’ll be happy with that. I see myself fighting for about six more fights and I’ll be done and happy with my career.

Boxing Insider: A lot of PBC fighters will be at the Garcia v. Thurman match this Saturday. Will you be in attendance and would you like the winner of that fight?

Lamont Peterson: Of course I would like the winner of that fight. The winner leaves undefeated and a lot of people will say they are the top guy at welterweight. I would definitely like a crack at that title, being the top guy at welterweight.

Boxing Insider: And finally, who do you have winning the fight between Garcia and Thurman?

Lamont Peterson: It’s still a hard pick. I go back and forth. I can see both guys winning. If they stick to their own game plans. Whoever is better prepared that night, mentally and physically will win the fight. I do see it as a 50/50 fight.

Posted on 02/16/2017

Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Broner vs. Granados, Peterson vs. Avanesyan, Browne vs. Williams
By: William Holmes

On Saturday Night Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, and About Billions Promotions will televise three high caliber fights on the Showtime Network live from the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The opening bout will be between undefeated United States Olympian Marcus Browne and Light Heavyweight contender Thomas Williams Jr. The co-main event of the evening will be between David Avanesyan and the returning Lamont Peterson in the welterweight division.

The main event of the night will be between Cincinnati native Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados in the welterweight division.

The following is a preview of all three televised bouts.

Marcus Browne (18-0) vs. Thomas Williams Jr. (20-2); Light Heavyweight Division

Marcus Browne represented the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics and is a former National Police Athletic League Champion. He comes from a deep amateur background but will be facing one of the toughest tests of his career when he takes on former Light Heavyweight Title Contender Thomas Williams Jr.

Both boxers are southpaws, but Browne will have a slight ½ inch height advantage and an imposing four and a half inch reach advantage. Both boxers have decent power as Browne has stopped thirteen of his opponents while Williams has stopped fourteen. However, it should be noted that both of Williams’ losses have come by stoppage, so his chin can be considered questionable.

Williams has been fairly active and has fought twice in 2016 and once in 2015. His two losses were to Gabriel Campillo and Adonis Stevenson. He has defeated the likes of Edwin Rodriguez, Cornelius White, Yusaf Mack, and Otis Griffin.

Browne has never tasted defeat but won a very questionable decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic in his last bout. He has defeated the likes of Gabriel Campillo, Cornelius White, Aaron Pryor Jr., and Otis Griffin.

This will be Williams’ first fight since his devastating knockout loss to Adonis Stevenson. Williams was doing well in that bout, but unwisely chose to slug with a knockout artist. Browne isn’t considered by many to be a knockout artist, but he has a strong amateur pedigree and will likely be able to outbox and outlast Williams.

This is a good test for Browne and should be a compelling fight, but Browne should be considered the slight favorite.

David Avanesyan (22-1-1) vs. Lamont Peterson (37-3-1); WBA Welterweight Title

Lamont Peterson has been in some very entertaining fights during his career, but didn’t have any fights in 2016 and had no fights in 2015. He’s also thirty three years old and will be five years older than Avanesyan on fight night.

Avanesyan has spent most of his career fighting in Europe and Russia and wasn’t known by many until he defeated a washed up version of Shane Mosley. Avanesyan has been slightly more active than Peterson and fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Avanesyan will be giving up one inch in height and about four inches in reach to Lamont Peterson. Peterson is also the better knockout artist as he has stopped seventeen of his opponents and Avanesyan has only stopped eleven.

Peterson’s losses were to Timothy Bradley Jr., Lucas Matthysse, and a razor thin decision loss to Danny Garcia. He has beaten the likes of Felix Diaz, Dierry Jean, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lanardo Tyner, and Victor Cayo.

Avanesyan’s professional resume pales in comparison to Peterson. He has defeated the likes of Carlos Herrera, Shane Mosley, Kaizer Mabuza, and and Charlie Navarro. His lone loss was to Andrey Klimov in the second fight of his career.

Hopefully ring rust won’t be a factor for Peterson, but he’s been known to start fights slowly and warm up to the end. If Peterson waits too long to attack the body he could give up some early rounds and lose another close decision.

But Peterson has been in big fights before and he’s used to the pressure of a nationally televised audience. This experience gives him the edge over Avanesyan on Saturday.

Adrien Broner (32-2) vs. Adrian Granados (18-4-2); Welterweight Division

A lot of people have been questioning Broner’s conditioning and commitment to boxing as he has recently requested that this fight be fought at the welterweight limit and he appears to be several pounds over his normal fighting weight at recent press conferences.

Broner and Granados are both twenty seven years old, but Broner will be giving up two and a half inches in height and four and a half inches in reach. Both boxers are also similar in that they both have a decorated amateur background. Broner was a National Silver Gloves Champion and Granados was a Mexican Olympic Team Reserve and a Junior Golden Gloves Champ.

Broner is the bigger puncher of the two. He has stopped twenty four of his opponents while Granados has only stopped twelve. They both went 5-1 in their last six fights.

Granados has losses to Brad Solomon, Felix Diaz, Frankie Gomez, and Joe Juan Fuentes. He has beaten the likes of Amir Imam, Kermit Cintron, and Lanardo Tyner. His win over Imam was a major upset and likely got him this bout with Broner.

Broner has defeated the likes of Ashley Theophane, Khabib Allakhverdiev, John Molina, Emmanuel Taylor, Carlos Molina, Paulie Malignaggi, Antonio DeMarco, Daniel Ponce De Leon, and Jason Litzau. His losses were to Macros Maidana and Shawn Porter.
Broner’s recent appearances and social media drama gives this writer some concern going into Saturday, but this bout will be fought in Broner’s hometown and Granados, absent one upset victory, has never faced or defeated someone on the talent level of Adrien Broner.

Of the three televised bouts this one will likely be the biggest blowout.

Posted on 02/09/2017

The Return Of Lamont Peterson
By: Sean Crose

It seemed to me as if Danny Garcia was the favored child of the powers that be in the lead up to his 2015 battle with Lamont Peterson. Needless to say, the iffy decision tossed Garcia’s way after he and Peterson had battled for twelve rounds didn’t re-establish my confidence in those powers. To my eye at least, Peterson had proved to be the more skilled, the more talented and the more in control fighter that April evening. Oh, the fight was close to be sure, but it certainly didn’t appear to me as if Garcia deserved the win. Peterson, I felt, couldn’t catch a break.

For indeed, Peterson was a quiet man. I had spoken to him on two occasions and felt like I knew him well enough to understand that he wasn’t showy enough for some people’s taste. That sort of thing wasn’t good when you were a professional fighter, but what was Peterson supposed to do? Turn himself into a Broner-style “problem?” Perhaps someday, I thought, Peterson would crack through and be judged based on his talent, rather than by his subdued personality and a positive drug test from a few years earlier.

Peterson, however, pretty much stopped fighting. After winning a controversial decision of his own against Felix Diaz the same year as the Garcia bout, Peterson disappeared from the scene. Was he sitting precious amounts of time out? Was he being sidelined by those same powers that be I suspected had been unfair regarding Garcia? Or was this all part of some grand master plan by the soft-spoken man who liked to don a large beard? It wasn’t easy to tell. Nor was it easy to tell when, if ever, the guy would return to the ring. At least now, however, the question of Peterson’s return has been answered.

For the 34-3-1 Washington DC native will be back on February 28th, when he has a welterweight showdown with 22-1-1 David Avanesyan on the Adrien Broner – Adrian Granados undercard in Cincinnati. The bout will be fought for one of the WBAs titles (if you’re into that sort of thing – which I myself am not), but the real point of interest will be how good Peterson looks in the ring after his long layoff. Time waits for no man, after all, and Peterson is no exception. What’s more, at thirty-three years of age, the guy might not have all the time in the world to really make his mark.

If Peterson’s skills haven’t eroded, however, he can indeed be a force to be reckoned with at welterweight. Perhaps some of the division’s top names might want to keep an eye out.