Lamont Peterson vs Kendall Holt 2/22 ESPN

[Confucamus]

I've been on the Matthysse bandwagon since his fight with Judah a couple years ago. I always gravitate toward the pure boxers who can lead you around the ring w/o getting hit and the guys who never stop putting the pressure on, no defense just bring it everytime out.

Matthysse is the latter, also a lot of people including myself think he will give any guy at 140 a run for their money and I don't see how that's a crazy opinion to have. He definitely hasn't been outclassed yet, robbed against Devon and was in a close fight with Zab that a lot of people think he won as well. Brutally beat down Soto and Ajose who are both good fighters who never took beating like that to date. One of four guys to ko Chop Chop, dropped Devon and Zab. Great chin and power always comes to fight, endearing qualities in fighter not to mention he makes the most of them.

No reason to think that he can't hang with the elite at 140 and even beat most of them. Just b/c he's one dimensional doesn't mean he's not legit. Reason people are high on the guy right now is b/c there's not much of a reason to be low on him. We'll see how he looks against Lamont though, I think he puts the critics to rest but time will tell.

Exactly right. He's faced many fighters of varying styles and only Judah has a legitimate win over him, albeit a very, very close one. There may be some very uninformed people who consider him all hype, but they're never going to be able to accurately explain why. Matthyse has consistently been well prepared for all his fights and has always delivered a great show. I don't believe he's completely one dimensional, as he's shown the ability to adapt to many different styles of fighting. This guy is the real deal and will fight anybody.

 

[Seano]

Exactly right. He's faced many fighters of varying styles and only Judah has a legitimate win over him, albeit a very, very close one. There may be some very uninformed people who consider him all hype, but they're never going to be able to accurately explain why. Matthyse has consistently been well prepared for all his fights and has always delivered a great show. I don't believe he's completely one dimensional, as he's shown the ability to adapt to many different styles of fighting. This guy is the real deal and will fight anybody.

He's a pretty good fighter, absolutely. But there are many fans out there who overrate what he is because he has power.

Losing to Judah, I mean seriously, thats just not very good. Great fighters don't lose to Zab Judah. The guys best wins are who? Olusegun and Soto? Until he beats someone we know to be true quality, like Peterson or Garcia, I'm going to rate him below them.

 

[Mr2urbo]

I think he can beat Peterson in Vegas by close decision

 

[NutHuggers]

I think he can beat Peterson in Vegas by close decision

Boxrec says it is in AC. I have read they are considering DC. Either way I am happy bc I will be there. I can't see Mathysse agreeing to DC though

 

[animalfan10]

He's a pretty good fighter, absolutely. But there are many fans out there who overrate what he is because he has power.

Losing to Judah, I mean seriously, thats just not very good. Great fighters don't lose to Zab Judah. The guys best wins are who? Olusegun and Soto? Until he beats someone we know to be true quality, like Peterson or Garcia, I'm going to rate him below them.

Agreed 100 percent...Nothing indicates to me that is his better than Peterson/Garcia/Rios...He just has that typical "unknown" or "exotic" factor that everyone likes + thinks is cool to root for (like when Fedor wasn't in the UFC and everyone still thought he was vastly superior..Or Overeem...when people used to think Nick Diaz was gonna kill GSP etc)

Through unlike Fedor he actually wants to fight the best. So I give him credit for that

Hell I even think Khan could outbox him if he fights smart. Khan did get robbed against a roided Peterson and he outboxed Maidana.

 

[BluntTrauma21]

Wins over Khan and an ancient Morales twice aren't any better than Ajose and Soto. Add to that a win that he should've gotten against Devon and you have a better resume.

The only thing the detractors want to say is that he lost a close to Dec to Judah like that somehow defines him as a fighter for the rest of his career. Guys lose fights sometimes, that's how the sport goes. Tyson lost to Buster Douglas for God's sake, not everyone can be Floyd or Ward.

 

[cuban23]

Agreed 100 percent...Nothing indicates to me that is his better than Peterson/Garcia/Rios...He just has that typical "unknown" or "exotic" factor that everyone likes + thinks is cool to root for (like when Fedor wasn't in the UFC and everyone still thought he was vastly superior..Or Overeem...when people used to think Nick Diaz was gonna kill GSP etc)

Through unlike Fedor he actually wants to fight the best. So I give him credit for that

Hell I even think Khan could outbox him if he fights smart. Khan did get robbed against a roided Peterson and he outboxed Maidana.

Zombie please...

 

[consortium11]

Wins over Khan and an ancient Morales twice aren't any better than Ajose and Soto. Add to that a win that he should've gotten against Devon and you have a better resume.

The only thing the detractors want to say is that he lost a close to Dec to Judah like that somehow defines him as a fighter for the rest of his career. Guys lose fights sometimes, that's how the sport goes. Tyson lost to Buster Douglas for God's sake, not everyone can be Floyd or Ward.

Yes they are.

I like Olusegun and have seen him box live a number of times but let's be honest. Outside of the massively protected Ali Chebah he's been boxing at domestic British level his entire career; Colin Lynes, Nigel Wright (x2) and Scott Haywood are basically his best wins. As much as I'd like the domestic 140lbs division to be a stand-in for facing world class opponents, it isn't. If you wanted to pair them up then Khan's list of opponents... and victories... far outweighs Olusegun's. Olusegun appears to be getting credit by people who had never seen or heard of him before on the basis of being tough and taking big shots from Matthysse.

Soto was a great boxer at 135lbs and below and hadn't lost a legitimate bout since Guzman outclassed him back in 2007 (the Lorenzo DQ was a disgrace). But his 135lbs run consisted of him beating good, not great, opposition and at 140lbs he had beaten Jose Alfaro, Adailton De Jesus and Claudinei Lacerda before getting flattened by Matthysse... not exactly a list of opponents that inspire. Morales list of opponents going in to the first Garcia bout... a list that included the same Jose Alfaro (prior to Soto beating him), Willie Limond and Francisco Lorenzo is no worse. Then factor in that he had lost an extremely close decision to Maidana with one eye closed and had demolished Pablo Cesar Cano and for at least the first Garcia bout I don't think he was in any way a worse opponent than Soto.

 

[Seano]

Wins over Khan and an ancient Morales twice aren't any better than Ajose and Soto. Add to that a win that he should've gotten against Devon and you have a better resume.
.

Khan, though chinny, has beaten much better competition than Olusegun and Soto.

 

[devante]

Wins over Khan and an ancient Morales twice aren't any better than Ajose and Soto. Add to that a win that he should've gotten against Devon and you have a better resume.

The only thing the detractors want to say is that he lost a close to Dec to Judah like that somehow defines him as a fighter for the rest of his career. Guys lose fights sometimes, that's how the sport goes. Tyson lost to Buster Douglas for God's sake, not everyone can be Floyd or Ward.

i agree, what the hell has peterson done, other than beat khan; which matthyse could have done and beat holt, which matthyse could have done as well. I don't know that lamont beats devon or judah; not saying he wouldn't, but it's no lock.

Lucas has been more active and facing very good competition, facing guys other guys don't want to fight; an mind you khan chose lamont because he felt he was vulnerable. Khan-garcia and others aren't willing to fight matthyse; he is too much of a risk, peterson doesn't represent that sort of risk. In fact he is the most vulnerable of the champs in my opinion.

 

[animalfan10]

Where is everyone getting this "Garcia and Khan aren't willing to fight him" stuff from?? Garcia is on record saying he would fight him on multiple occasions and Khan hate him or love him isn't a ducker....In fact he pretty much calls everyone out (some undeserved for sure)