Garcia, Peterson: No Regrets on Timing or Catchweight
Posted by: Jake Donovan on 3/19/2015 .
By Jake Donovan
For as long as Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson have held separate titles at junior welterweight, fans have clamored for a head-on collision.
Now that the public gets the matchup it so craved, attention has instead moved to the circumstances surrounding the fight. The April 11 headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—which will air live on NBC in prime time—will not be a unification bout of any kind, but instead a non-title fight at a maximum catchweight of 143 lbs.
Garcia is already the recognized World 140 lb. champion, but fights above the weight for his second straight fight. Peterson (33-2-1, 17KOs) fights outside the weight class for just the second time in five years; the only other occasion came in May ’13, in a knockout loss to Lucas Matthysse in a fight that was one pound above the junior welterweight limit, just enough to allow Peterson to retain his alphabet title despite the loss.
Fans hoped for Garcia and Peterson to meet last summer, but the two were instead granted gross mismatches on the same show at Barclays Center. Garcia scored a 2nd round knockout of Rod Salka, who moved up 12 lbs. from his previous fight, while Peterson stopped overmatched fringe contender Edgar Santana in 10 rounds.
Optimists theorized that the showcase fights could be forgiven if it meant a direct clash in their next fight. Given the circumstances, it seems that the court of public opinion—while grateful for the forthcoming matchup—remains hesitant in its full forgiveness.
Still, there are no regrets from either fighter as to the amount of time it took for the fight to materialize, or the circumstances under which it will be contested.
“It’s not about redemption. The past is in the past. The media says what they will, but we’re moving forward with this great fight,” states Garcia (29-0, 17KOs), who established championship lineage with his win over Matthysse in Sept. ’13. “It’s a fight the fans wanted. When it was offered to me, I said, ‘Yeah, why not.’
“If you backtrack on my career, I’ve never turned an opponent down. It’s a great fight.”
Peterson—who has held at least one belt since an upset points win over Amir Khan in Dec. ’11—doesn’t seem overly concerned with not being able to add to his collection for at least one more fight. Rather, he sees the big picture and what it will mean to be the first to beat Garcia.
“I’m cool with (the catchweight). There are too many titles. At the end of the say, you have two top fighters willing to fight each other. I know the fans want these titles at stake. We hope they can just push that aside and accept this great fight.”
“He’s considered the best at the weight class. It’s my chance to go out there and get the crown, belts or no belts.”
http://www.boxingscene.com/garcia-peterson-no-regrets-on-timing-catchweight--88719
I dont care about the weight either
I only wish who ever loses, lost their belts as well though
Posted by: Jake Donovan on 3/19/2015 .
By Jake Donovan
For as long as Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson have held separate titles at junior welterweight, fans have clamored for a head-on collision.
Now that the public gets the matchup it so craved, attention has instead moved to the circumstances surrounding the fight. The April 11 headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—which will air live on NBC in prime time—will not be a unification bout of any kind, but instead a non-title fight at a maximum catchweight of 143 lbs.
Garcia is already the recognized World 140 lb. champion, but fights above the weight for his second straight fight. Peterson (33-2-1, 17KOs) fights outside the weight class for just the second time in five years; the only other occasion came in May ’13, in a knockout loss to Lucas Matthysse in a fight that was one pound above the junior welterweight limit, just enough to allow Peterson to retain his alphabet title despite the loss.
Fans hoped for Garcia and Peterson to meet last summer, but the two were instead granted gross mismatches on the same show at Barclays Center. Garcia scored a 2nd round knockout of Rod Salka, who moved up 12 lbs. from his previous fight, while Peterson stopped overmatched fringe contender Edgar Santana in 10 rounds.
Optimists theorized that the showcase fights could be forgiven if it meant a direct clash in their next fight. Given the circumstances, it seems that the court of public opinion—while grateful for the forthcoming matchup—remains hesitant in its full forgiveness.
Still, there are no regrets from either fighter as to the amount of time it took for the fight to materialize, or the circumstances under which it will be contested.
“It’s not about redemption. The past is in the past. The media says what they will, but we’re moving forward with this great fight,” states Garcia (29-0, 17KOs), who established championship lineage with his win over Matthysse in Sept. ’13. “It’s a fight the fans wanted. When it was offered to me, I said, ‘Yeah, why not.’
“If you backtrack on my career, I’ve never turned an opponent down. It’s a great fight.”
Peterson—who has held at least one belt since an upset points win over Amir Khan in Dec. ’11—doesn’t seem overly concerned with not being able to add to his collection for at least one more fight. Rather, he sees the big picture and what it will mean to be the first to beat Garcia.
“I’m cool with (the catchweight). There are too many titles. At the end of the say, you have two top fighters willing to fight each other. I know the fans want these titles at stake. We hope they can just push that aside and accept this great fight.”
“He’s considered the best at the weight class. It’s my chance to go out there and get the crown, belts or no belts.”
http://www.boxingscene.com/garcia-peterson-no-regrets-on-timing-catchweight--88719
I dont care about the weight either
I only wish who ever loses, lost their belts as well though
? You sure breh?
to Junior Welterweight and started up Dannyweight
