Lamont Peterson not worried about Errol Spence fight

Boxingnews24.com

By Jeff Aranow: Former 2 division world champion Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs) says he’s not concerned at all about being an underdog and facing one of the best fighters in the 147 pound division in IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. 22-0, 19 KOs) this Saturday night on January 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Peterson says he doesn’t believe that Spence is all hype like some boxing fans do. He believes he’s the real deal, but he also thinks that he’s got what it takes to defeat him on Saturday night.

Spence vs. Peterson will be taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

”I’m not worrying about it. At the end of the day we’re too men and two boxers, we’re fighting at the top level and we’re both coming in there to try and win the fight,” said Peterson to Premier Boxing Champions. ”That’s all I can focus on and nothing else. I’m not sure. It’ll all come down to how much I took from those fights, and how much I’ve learned and if I can apply it into the future,” said Peterson.

Spence looked sluggish in the first 6 rounds of his fight against former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook on May 27 last year at Bramhall Lane in Sheffield, England. It wasn’t until the 7th round where Spence started to get into his grove and fight well. It was around the 7th that Spence started to dig in body shots that took the fight out of Brook more than anything. Brook said he suffered an eye injury in the 7th. The punches that Spence threw in the 7th that appeared to be most damaging were the body shots that he was throwing.

Peterson has been out of the ring for nearly a year since his last fight against David Avanesyan last year in February. Peterson’s management hasn’t been keeping him busy, which is the same exact problem that Spence has had. He hasn’t fought since the Brook fight last May. However, Peterson’s inactivity has been way worse, and he’s not had a really tough opponent since his loss to Danny Garcia in April 2015. Peterson has fought twice following his loss to Danny Garcia in beating Felix Diaz and Avanesyan. Those were close fights each of them. Peterson won them, but he didn’t dominate.

”He did have one big fight with Kell Brook, and it’ll depend on how much he took from that fight and how much he learned from that fight,” said Peterson in talking about Spence.”That’s always the big question of what you take from each fight. But at this point I do feel comfortable. I do feel poised, and I do feel that all the experience I do have will help me,” said Peterson.

Peterson has a lot more experience than Spence, but he hasn’t always done well in his biggest fights. Peterson has been inside the ring with Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Tim Bradley, Lanardo Tyner, Victor Ortiz, Kendall Holt, Dierry Jean, Edgar Santana, Danny Garcia, Felix Diaz and David Avanesyan. Unfortunately for Peterson, he lost 3 of those fights, and he could have lost to Ortiz if he’d kept fighting hard.

Spence is supposed to be taking over the 147 lb. division as the best fighter, but he hasn’t been able to accomplish that for lack of important fights. He’s only been put in with one good fighter during his career in Kell Brook, and time is flying by. Spence’s management can’t get him the fight that he wants ad needs against Keith Thurman, and without that fight it’s going to be hard for him to take his career to the next level to prove that he’s the best in the division. Spence has a better chance of getting a fight against Terence Crawford than he does against Thurman. It would be a pity if Spence loses his best years as a pro for lack of quality fights. You don’t want to see Spence in his mid-30s finally getting the fights that he wants, but being too old to win them. Spence is in a bind right now. He needs to become more popular to get the fights he wants, but he can’t become popular because he can’t get the bigger names to fight him.

”His strengths in the ring are he has good size,” said Peterson in analyzing Spence’s strengths. ”He cuts the ring off good, and he knows how to place his shots pretty good. There is no hype. I believe everything they’re saying about him. He’s an excellent fighter, and I saw that even when I followed him when he was an amateur. I saw that where he would be at this point. So, he’s definitely an excellent fighter, so he deserves all the kudos you can give him,” said Peterson.

Peterson has a chance of winning this fight, but he’s going to have to box and move Spence for 12 rounds. Peterson cannot stand and trade with the younger, stronger and bigger Spence and expect to win. Fighting like that will get Peterson in hot water. Spence had problems against Brook when he was boxing him. Brook showed Spence’s weakness in the first 5 to 6 rounds of their fight last May.