Redemption: Peterson vs. Holt Or… We Shall Overcome

peterson3 by Chip Mitchell: On Friday February 22, 2013, Lamont “Havoc” Peterson defends his IBF Light Welterweight title against Kendall “Rated R” Holt. The fight will be the main event on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. Co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Headbanger Promotions, this showcase represents redemption in a way for both fighters, as they each have had taut moments over the past few years. Boxing wouldn’t be the sport that it is today without some form of turbulence.

Lamont Peterson
For Lamont Peterson, it never seems to come easy. He was homeless on the streets of Washington, DC with his brother Anthony for a few years. While some of Lamont’s 12 siblings moved in with friends, Lamont and Anthony moved on to survive alone. They were forced to sleep in bus stations, abandoned cars, or anywhere they could find. Lamont wasn’t even 11 years old during this time. He took the leadership role, as he often fought to protect his younger brother.

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Mayweather faces Guerrero on 5/4; Floyd signs with Showtime/CBS

By Jeff Sorby: Floyd Mayweather Jr. has signed a six-fight deal Showtime/CBS to televise his pay per view fights. HBO attempted to keep Mayweather by making “an aggressive offer” according to Dan Rafael, but it wasn’t enough. The six-fight deal is for 30 months, which means Mayweather is going to have to be a little more active than he’s been lately.

Fighting once a year isn’t going to get the job done if Mayweather is to get all six fights done in just 30 months.

Mayweather’s adviser Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN “HBO, they made a great offer, but Showtime PPV/CBS was substantially greater in every facet. So bottom line, HBO was outgunned. They came to a gun fight with a knife.”

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A Period of Transition in the Heavyweight Division

547 By Michael Montero – This Saturday will be an important one in the heavyweight landscape, featuring big step up bouts for prospects from three different parts of the world. In Huntington, New York, American Malik Scott (35-0) faces Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov (14-0), while on the other side of the pond; Englishman David Price (15-0) squares off against American veteran Tony Thompson (36-3) in Liverpool. For Scott, a pro since 2000 who’s been ridiculed for never stepping up, it’s the moment of truth. For Glazkov, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing games, this is his second straight bout on American airwaves and easily the biggest test in his short pro career. And for Price, the 6’8” giant (himself a former bronze medalist), an empathic win over Thompson puts him on the fast track for an eventual title shot.

This is a microcosm of things to come. Things are changing in the heavyweight division. New history is being written, yet old history is being repeated. It’s all part of a cycle: weak, average and strong eras – with the occasional golden era sprinkled in every few generations – only to collapse and repeat again. One could argue that the years following Lennox Lewis’ retirement were an average era, with quality fighters like Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Hasim Rahman, Andrew Golota, both Klitschkos and several others, but no clear owner of the division. In recent years we’ve suffered through a weak era, with the Klitschko brothers having cleaned out the entire division and seemingly no willing, proven, legitimate challenge for the alpha dogs. Yet things are shaping up to start getting pretty damn interesting over the next few years, and fans all over the world are getting excited.

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Bute-Pascal to fight, possibly on May 25th

bute2 By Jeff Sorby: Jean Pascal (27-2-1, 16 KO’s) and former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (31-1, 24 KO’s) have agreed for a fight that could take place in May, possibly on May 25th or at a later date. The fight will take place at 175, so Bute will have to move up in weight to make this happen.

It makes a lot of sense for Bute to be moving up, and staying up that weight because his chances of finding success in the weak light heavyweight division is a lot better than it is if he stays at 168.

Bute was stopped last May in the 5th round by Carl Froch, and the way that Bute was beaten suggests that the results would be the same if he fought Froch again. If Bute can’t hang with Froch, then it’s highly likely he won’t be able to hang with the likes of Andre Ward, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham.

The Bute-Pascal fight will be absolutely huge because both of these fighters typically sell out each time they fight in Montreal, and this is going to be much bigger given that they’re facing each other. They’re talking about possibly staging the fight at the Bell Centre, Olympic Stadium, or an outdoor football stadium in Quebec.

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Broner is too good for Burns, says Hearn

By Michael Collins: Promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s seen the light after watching WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (26-0, 22 KO’s) obliterate his fighter Gavin Rees (37-2-1, 18 KO’s) in a methodical fashion last Saturday night. Hearn had doubts about Broner beforehand, but afterwards he realized what huge talent Broner is.

Hearn doesn’t see anyone in the lightweight division that has the talent to beat Broner right now, not even WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns.

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Gavin Rees could be back on HBO in the Summer

By Jeff Sorby: If you liked what you saw of Gavin Rees (37-2-1, 18 KO’s) in his fight with WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (26-0, 22 KO’s) last Saturday night on HBO, then you might be happy to learn that Rees could end up back on HBO in the Summer to fight in front of U.S audiences. Rees’ promoter Eddie Hearn says Rees could be back on U.S television in the Summer against a still to be determined opponent.

Hearn said to Sky Sports “Gavin’s performance won him many admirers in America…we have already been approached about further fights in the U.S in early summer…the plan is to pick up another world title shot before the end of 2013.”

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Donaire vs. Rigondeaux: This is a risky fight for Nonito

By Rob Smith: Bob Arum has finally decided to put his fighter WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO’s) in with someone that actually still has talent and is capable of beating him in WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO’s) on April 13th at the Radio City Music Hall, in New York, New York, USA.

It’s sad that it’s take all these years for Arum to finally match Donaire tough, but it’s better late than never. Rigondeaux has the speed, power, counter punching ability the defensive skills to pull off an upset in this fight. I don’t even know if you could call it an upset because Rigondeaux is unbeaten, and he’s looked scary good since turning pro in 2009 after capturing two gold medals for Cuba in the Olympics.

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Deontay Wilder: “I’m ready for the top guys”

wilder5 By Dan Emicus:

Despite the fact you secured a bronze medal, it was Team USA’s worst showing at the Olympic games since 1948. Of course, it would have been worse still in London 2012 if not for the inclusion of women’s boxing, which allowed Claressa Shields and Marlen Esparza to spare the men’s blushed by picking up Gold and Bronze respectively.

We all expected to medal. I wanted us all to do well, so it was bittersweet for me to be the only one. It turns out that I’m currently the only medalist since 2004 as far as men’s boxing goes. I don’t know much about the 2012 team, I just know that we just need to get America back on top.

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Peterson vs. Holt prediction and preview

by James Harrison: February 22nd, IBF light-welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson (30-1-1-15 KO’s) will defend his belt against Kendall “Rated R” Holt (28-5-16 KO’s) at the D.C. Armory. The defense is Peterson’s first after a 14-month layoff. It is also his first bout since the controversial win over Amir Khan in Ring Magazine’s fight of the year in 2011.

Many think Peterson will show signs of ring rust, but it will probably be negated by the fact that Holt is also coming off a long layoff due to shoulder surgery. Besides, a slow start would be characteristic of Peterson.

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Can Burns, Anyone At 135 Test Flashy, Classy Adrien Broner?

By James Slater – I think most fight fans are in agreement right now: it will take a formidable 140-pound fighter to test, much less defeat, blossoming superstar Adrien Broner. Scotland’s reigning WBO lightweight champ (and soon to be IBF title challenger) Ricky Burns disagrees, naturally, but is there really a 135-pounder capable of clipping “The Problem’s” wings?

Broner was expected to be too much for Welshman Gavin Rees last night in Atlantic City, and the formbook was obeyed (despite the sheer heart and guts “The Rock” showed!). But how special a talent does the unbeaten 23-year-old look! His hand speed is amazing, Broner’s power and accuracy aren’t far behind and, to make things worse for any of his opponents, Broner has such a varied number of wicked punches in his arsenal – left hooks, right hooks, uppercuts from either hand, particularly his right, right hand leads and body shots. Broner seems to have it all.

What this latest Cincinnati Cobra has in his future is one huge selection of would-be super-fights!

A Burns showdown would be a major attraction, especially if Burns can add the IBF belt to his WBO by defeating Mexican string been Miguel Vazquez next month. But there is precious little else for Broner at the weight – unless Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa can relocate his top form and persuade his promoters to land him the fight. The really big match-ups, the testing fights that promise to bring out the best in the “Floyd Mayweather Junior clone” will come at 140 and maybe beyond.

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