By Bill Phanco: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is thinking of matching IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s) against WBC interim light welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) on May 18th in Washington, DC, according to RingTV.
It would be an all Golden Boy match-up, and an easy fight to make because of that. Peterson, 29, recently signed with Golden Boy in hopes of getting the opportunity to face their top light welterweights Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Matthysse.
Garcia and Khan are obviously high on Peterson’s list due to their popularity, but a fight against Matthysse is still a very good one for Peterson.
The Matthysse-Peterson fight would be paired with the Devon Alexander vs. Kell Brook fight in order to attract more interest in that fight. Without a good co-main event, the Alexander-Brook fight isn’t a big deal in the U.S because neither fighter is huge stars in the U.S.
Amir Khan has a fight coming up at the end of April against possibly Julio Diaz, and Danny Garcia is scheduled to fight Zab Judah on April 27th. Schaefer doesn’t want Peterson and Matthysse to wait around a long time before they fight, so he’s looking at May 18th.
Peterson defeated former WBO light welterweight champion Kendall Holt by an 8th round TKO last Friday night in Washington, DC. Peterson knocked Holt down twice in the fight, and took him out with a series of heavy shots in the 8th. It was a good performance for Peterson especially given that he hadn’t fought in 14 months.
Matthysse defeated Mike Dallas Jr. by a 1st round knockout last January. Matthysse looked really powerful in that fight, and he seems to be getting better as a fighter after losing to Judah and Alexander by questionable decisions in the past.
Matthysse-Peterson will be a competitive fight, and it’s difficult to predict a winner. Matthysse is looking really strong right now, but so is Peterson.