About the Bouts: The Counterpunch
A recap of the highest-profile boxing matches of the weekend.
A Star Emerges
Lamont Peterson entered Saturday night's bout with Lucas Matthysse regarded by many as the finest 140-pounder in the world.
He left in a heap.
In what was expected to be a highly competitive bout turned into a showcase for Matthysse, who might just be the best pound-for-pound puncher in the world and emerges as an intriguing opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Matthysse (34-2, 32 KOs) knocked down Peterson, 29, twice in the third round with a pair of left hooks before referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at the 2:14 mark.
Peterson, who came in one pound above the junior welterweight limit, had the right idea in the first round by boxing, using his feet and staying away from Matthysse. Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KOs) then elected to be a bit more stationary and jab a little more in the second round before being knocked down with a looping left hook that completely changed the fight.
The problem for Matthysse? Well, he looked too good in defeating a fighter who suffered his only loss in 2009 and hadn't been knocked out in his professional career. Matthysse, 30, is too dangerous, has one-punch knockout power in each hand, and isn't a big enough name. You can bet Mayweather wants no part of that. Now that Al Haymon, an integral member of Team Mayweather and one of the most powerful men in boxing, is advising Matthysse, the Argentinian slugger's star will rise. But the reality is his fate is controlled by a man who is loyal to Floyd. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.
What's next? The win puts Matthysse directly in line for a September fight against
undefeated Danny Garcia (26-0, 16 KOs), the division's other champion who has a claim as the best of the junior welters. It could be an exciting bout, but Garcia – who has wins over Zab Judah, Amir Khan and Erik Morales – is very hittable, and that doesn't bode well for the 25-year-old Philadelphia native.
The undercard: Welterweight contender Devon Alexander dominated late replacement Lee Purdy in easy, methodical fashion. As exciting as Matthysse-Peterson was, Alexander-Purdy was its underwhelming polar opposite. Alexander stood in the center of the ring and used his hand speed to simply punch the plodding Purdy at will. But since Alexander has little power, the fight went on for seven rounds before Purdy's corner stopped it. It seems Team Purdy was as tired as we were of watching the same round unfold over and over and over. Alexander is a nice enough fighter and has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Mayweather. But there isn't one thing he does better than Money May. Let's hope that fight never happens.
The last words: "We have a new Manny Pacquiao. He's from Argentina and his name is Lucas 'The Machine' Matthysse." -- Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who (obviously) promotes Matthysse. So does that mean Matthysse also will never fight Mayweather?
Other boxing content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Shane Mosley unanimously outpoints Pablo Cano
• Jones stops Lebedev, wins WBA cruiserweight belt
• Povetkin stops Wawrzyk in third to keep WBA heavyweight belt
