Yep. #4 Junior Middleweight in the IBF rankings.
Essential The Official Boxing Random Thoughts Thread...All boxing heads ENTER.
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Yep. #4 Junior Middleweight in the IBF rankings.
the fukk are they talking about ? no one knows this fresh of the banana boat ex hitman lookin as cuban as ninja.
would have been a dope fight too, they could have at least used pascal rematch or ward fight as a passable reason.
another tr/gbp/duva lhw fighter duckng pbc lhw fighers
nikka talking about his profile has gotten bigger since fighting Pascal
If he don't get his ass outta here with that
Lucas Matthysse’s supporters plead for change and another chance
In the wake of Lucas Matthysse’s devastating loss to Viktor Postol on Oct. 3, members of his entourage, family and former team members have taken to social media and other outlets to vent their frustration at what they perceive as a less-than-ideal training regime for the Argentine slugger.
“I am holding back a few things just so I don’t hurt some people,” said Lucas’ sister Soledad Matthysse, herself a unified WBA/WBC female featherweight titlist, leading the charge in an appearance on local radio show “Cerca del Ring.” “Personally, I saw that my brother’s arms felt heavier, as if he had over-trained. I asked him a few things about his training and perhaps it was his swimming or his weight-lifting work.”
When asked about what exactly went wrong, Soledad quickly pointed at a general lack of direction within the training camp.
“There were no ideas,” said Soledad. “Every fighter has a Plan A but then there’s a Plan B and a Plan C but we didn’t see [those]. Everyone was banking on Lucas landing a couple of big shots and then the fight would be over but that didn’t happen and that’s when the ideas didn’t surface.”
Without pointing fingers or “naming names,” Soledad did underline the general impression whispered among Argentine fans and press alike about the size and scope of Lucas’ training staff, comprised by a large and diverse group of people that includes two trainers (Luis Barrera and former champ Juan Coggi), as well as a physician and a physical trainer.
Soledad simply expressed the concerns about a team in which job descriptions are sketchy at best, which leads to a few areas being left unattended while others are given too much attention and with virtually everyone weighing in on every issue.
“Arano, please, clean up Lucas’ entourage,” pleaded Soledad in one of her few comments directed to a specific member of Team Matthysse, in this case, his manager/promoter Mario Arano. “If Lucas wants to be a champion, he has to think about himself, not about his friendships. If people love him, they will let him go and allow him to continue growing. I have nothing against Arano; we get along very well. But Lucas will have to sit down and fix a few things, make a general ‘housekeeping’ job. I heard that [punching pad expert and former lightweight contender Eduardo] ‘The Surgeon’ Morales is not part of the team anymore. He used to be a big help. I believe Lucas has a lot of people doing nothing around him.”
Morales’ absence was noticeable to Soledad in Lucas’ movement around the ring and in his general mobility, which was critical against Postol.
“Perhaps he needed someone who would push him in his punching pad routine, to force him to move around,” said Soledad. “I never do pad work with someone who’s just standing in front of me. I use people who force me to move my legs and move around the ring.”
Morales himself agreed wholeheartedly.
“They told me they didn’t need me because they had a lot of sparring partners,” said Morales, during an interview with local website Campeones en el Ring. “In the two fights I worked with Lucas [against Roberto Ortiz and Ruslan Provodnikov], he was fast, accurate and motivated. This time, he didn’t shine, he didn’t work on his sidestepping or his waist movement and he was unable to dodge Postol’s jabs.”
Morales was surprised to learn that his services were not required for this particular fight, in which Postol’s style required the former’s work.
“The key was not to fight head-on but rather to allow [Postol] to box and come in diagonally moving [Lucas’] waist to dodge Postol’s straight hands. That’s what I learned in the Cuban school; that’s how you close in on a guy with long arms,” said Morales, who fought Shane Mosley for the IBF 135-pound title back in 1998 and has been making a name for himself as a trainer ever since.
Morales went further by doubling down on his comments and going against Team Matthysse’s decision to train in Argentina.
“It is good to train in the States because that’s where the big leagues are and there are a lot of sparring partners that are up to Lucas’ level. Lucas needs to train there two months before his fights. I hope [Matthysse’s promoter] Oscar De La Hoya can arrange a rematch against Postol. I believe Lucas deserves it and I believe he [would have] won.”
Soledad joined Morales in his clamor to Golden Boy Promotions’ big boss.
“All I ask is that Oscar will give him another chance and I hope people don’t abandon Lucas like they did after his fight against Danny Garcia,” said Soledad. “A lot of people left Lucas after that fight and that was very painful. A lot of people don’t know it but Lucas was really feeling down after that fight.”
pathetic
“There were no ideas,” said Soledad. “Every fighter has a Plan A but then there’s a Plan B and a Plan C but we didn’t see [those]. Everyone was banking on Lucas landing a couple of big shots and then the fight would be over but that didn’t happen and that’s when the ideas didn’t surface.”
I told the #MatthysseMafia this over & over about their boy for the last 2 years....and they didn't believe me
Lucas BEEN a very limited fighter, and if he cant KO you, he's pretty much done....unless you're more limited than him (i.e. Provodnikov)
Glad the only Champion of the family is putting the truth out there
“All I ask is that Oscar will give him another chance and I hope people don’t abandon Lucas like they did after his fight against Danny Garcia,” said Soledad. “A lot of people left Lucas after that fight and that was very painful. A lot of people don’t know it but Lucas was really feeling down after that fight.”
Axum Ezana
Driving in the fast lane
Mayweather School of Boxing + Cuban School of Boxing =
hope he donates to them and help my boy lara-savon get over here so can school these simple hws.
every body wanna say shyt about cubans but them nikkas been raw way back in the day...nothing new.
Beyonce really think anyone is worried about going through him?
Stop fighting FedEx delivery guys and sous chefs and actually step in the ring with some real comp, ho.
Gold is for champs...bronze is for chumps.
:hwthumbsup:
hope he donates to them and help my boy lara-savon get over here so can school these simple hws.
every body wanna say shyt about cubans but them nikkas been raw way back in the day...nothing new.
Word to Kid Gavilan
Axum Ezana
Driving in the fast lane
Stop fighting FedEx delivery guys and sous chefs and actually step in the ring with some real comp, ho.
Gold is for champs...bronze is for chumps.
:hwthumbsup:
who ur top hw currently to rule after klitchko ? povetkin, jennings or joshua?
I aint never seen a fighters' friends and family all copping pleas for him after a loss before.Lucas Matthysse’s supporters plead for change and another chance
In the wake of Lucas Matthysse’s devastating loss to Viktor Postol on Oct. 3, members of his entourage, family and former team members have taken to social media and other outlets to vent their frustration at what they perceive as a less-than-ideal training regime for the Argentine slugger.
“I am holding back a few things just so I don’t hurt some people,” said Lucas’ sister Soledad Matthysse, herself a unified WBA/WBC female featherweight titlist, leading the charge in an appearance on local radio show “Cerca del Ring.” “Personally, I saw that my brother’s arms felt heavier, as if he had over-trained. I asked him a few things about his training and perhaps it was his swimming or his weight-lifting work.”
When asked about what exactly went wrong, Soledad quickly pointed at a general lack of direction within the training camp.
“There were no ideas,” said Soledad. “Every fighter has a Plan A but then there’s a Plan B and a Plan C but we didn’t see [those]. Everyone was banking on Lucas landing a couple of big shots and then the fight would be over but that didn’t happen and that’s when the ideas didn’t surface.”
Without pointing fingers or “naming names,” Soledad did underline the general impression whispered among Argentine fans and press alike about the size and scope of Lucas’ training staff, comprised by a large and diverse group of people that includes two trainers (Luis Barrera and former champ Juan Coggi), as well as a physician and a physical trainer.
Soledad simply expressed the concerns about a team in which job descriptions are sketchy at best, which leads to a few areas being left unattended while others are given too much attention and with virtually everyone weighing in on every issue.
“Arano, please, clean up Lucas’ entourage,” pleaded Soledad in one of her few comments directed to a specific member of Team Matthysse, in this case, his manager/promoter Mario Arano. “If Lucas wants to be a champion, he has to think about himself, not about his friendships. If people love him, they will let him go and allow him to continue growing. I have nothing against Arano; we get along very well. But Lucas will have to sit down and fix a few things, make a general ‘housekeeping’ job. I heard that [punching pad expert and former lightweight contender Eduardo] ‘The Surgeon’ Morales is not part of the team anymore. He used to be a big help. I believe Lucas has a lot of people doing nothing around him.”
Morales’ absence was noticeable to Soledad in Lucas’ movement around the ring and in his general mobility, which was critical against Postol.
“Perhaps he needed someone who would push him in his punching pad routine, to force him to move around,” said Soledad. “I never do pad work with someone who’s just standing in front of me. I use people who force me to move my legs and move around the ring.”
Morales himself agreed wholeheartedly.
“They told me they didn’t need me because they had a lot of sparring partners,” said Morales, during an interview with local website Campeones en el Ring. “In the two fights I worked with Lucas [against Roberto Ortiz and Ruslan Provodnikov], he was fast, accurate and motivated. This time, he didn’t shine, he didn’t work on his sidestepping or his waist movement and he was unable to dodge Postol’s jabs.”
Morales was surprised to learn that his services were not required for this particular fight, in which Postol’s style required the former’s work.
“The key was not to fight head-on but rather to allow [Postol] to box and come in diagonally moving [Lucas’] waist to dodge Postol’s straight hands. That’s what I learned in the Cuban school; that’s how you close in on a guy with long arms,” said Morales, who fought Shane Mosley for the IBF 135-pound title back in 1998 and has been making a name for himself as a trainer ever since.
Morales went further by doubling down on his comments and going against Team Matthysse’s decision to train in Argentina.
“It is good to train in the States because that’s where the big leagues are and there are a lot of sparring partners that are up to Lucas’ level. Lucas needs to train there two months before his fights. I hope [Matthysse’s promoter] Oscar De La Hoya can arrange a rematch against Postol. I believe Lucas deserves it and I believe he [would have] won.”
Soledad joined Morales in his clamor to Golden Boy Promotions’ big boss.
“All I ask is that Oscar will give him another chance and I hope people don’t abandon Lucas like they did after his fight against Danny Garcia,” said Soledad. “A lot of people left Lucas after that fight and that was very painful. A lot of people don’t know it but Lucas was really feeling down after that fight.”
pathetic
I think its gonna be Joshua.
Axum Ezana
Driving in the fast lane
Word to Kid Gavilan
yep n hws like felix savon n teofilo stevenson that won multiple olympic gold but never turn pro cause of castro......
Stop fighting FedEx delivery guys and sous chefs and actually step in the ring with some real comp, ho.
Gold is for champs...bronze is for chumps.
:hwthumbsup:
*Looks at Joshua's resume*
Povetkin?
Wilder, Jennings, or Joshua is gonna run the game. I cant choose yet thought, but if Wilder kills Povetkin like I expect him too...it's him.
Lamont Peterson: 'I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to'
1m - Boxing
Former junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson will face 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz on Saturday. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Former junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson has been a professional boxer for 14 years.
He's had his ups: winning a world title against Amir Khan in front of his hometown crowd in Washington, D.C., in 2011. And his downs: a failed drug test that cost him one of his world title belts and left him inactive in 2012, and defeats in two of his past four bouts, a one-sided third-round knockout to Lucas Matthysse and a debatable majority-decision loss to Danny Garcia.
Through it all, Peterson has maintained his hunger to box and his desire to put in the hard work it takes to stay near the top of the sport.
Peterson must still be hungry. Just take a look at the kind of off-the-charts preparation he has gone through as he gets set to take on 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz in a welterweight bout (at 143 pounds) on Saturday (NBC, 4 p.m. ET). The fight headlines a "Premier Boxing Champions" card at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
"I'm sure I've sparred at least 500 rounds this camp," Peterson said of a shockingly large number of rounds for a fighter to prepare for any fight. "There were some weeks this camp that I would spar up to 20 rounds every day.
"I am going to show that I am confident and conditioned. This fight I trained just as hard as I have for any other fight."
Barry Hunter, Peterson's trainer and father figure, said he doesn't have to worry about trying to motivate Peterson. He said Peterson, win or lose, is always ready to work hard.
"Attitude is everything. Lamont has a fighter's mentality," Hunter said. "For the most part, between fighting and being with his daughter -- these are the two things that make him the most happy."
With the fight taking place in a Washington, D.C., suburb, Peterson will be the crowd favorite as he looks to bounce back from the majority-decision loss to Garcia on April 11 in their 143-pound bout. Garcia was the unified 140-pound world champion and Peterson went into the fight with his world title, but Garcia insisted that the long-awaited fight take place at a catchweight because of his problems making 140 pounds.
"I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
After the fight, Garcia vacated his titles and made the move to full-fledged 147-pound welterweight in August. Although Peterson's loss was a nontitle bout, he was stripped of his title after the fight.
Peterson said he can still make 140 pounds and would welcome another title shot. The catchweight against Garcia, after all, was not his idea. Peterson added that he is willing to go as high as the 154-pound junior middleweight division for the right opportunity.
"I'm still a 140-pounder. Any fight that comes in at 140 pounds, I will take it," Peterson said. "If there's no title involved or anything like that, I would fight anyone at 147, 154 -- any opportunity that makes sense, I will take it."
It would not be wise to doubt Peterson, who has a history of never backing away from a challenge. He has faced a who's who over the years, including Garcia, Matthysse, Khan, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Victor Ortiz.
Peterson, 31, is motivated to face even more of the top dogs.
"Boxing is always going to give me motivation. I love it," Peterson said. "I am a prideful person so I am going to train hard no matter who it is. I'm going to train hard. Fans know and the boxing world knows, I'm still here and I'm still learning and always getting better.
"[Saturday] I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
In Saturday's scheduled 10-round co-feature, welterweight prospect Prichard Colon (16-0, 13 KOs), 23, of Puerto Rico, will face Terrell Williams (14-0, 12 KOs), 31, of Los Angeles.
Lamont Peterson (left) suffered a majority decision loss to Danny Garcia in a nontitle bout in April. Elsa/Getty Images
Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) does not figure to have it easy against Diaz (17-0, 8 KOs), a 31-year-old southpaw with a very technical style.
Peterson is familiar with Diaz -- a native of the Dominican Republic who fights out of the Bronx, New York -- from their amateur days.
"I know a little bit about my opponent," Peterson said. "I remember him from the amateur days, fighting on the Dominican team in the Pan Am Games and places like that where he would compete.
"I remember watching him fight. He is a pretty tough guy. He was losing big and he actually came back and won the fight, so I know he has a lot of heart. At the end of the day, I don't think he has enough experience. He might show some experience, but I'm not going to look at it."
Nobody can question Diaz's experience as an am amateur, but as a professional it has been limited. He has faced weak opposition for the most part, although he is coming off his most notable win, a one-sided 10-round decision against Gabriel Bracero, who Diaz knocked down twice, on the Garcia-Peterson undercard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Peterson is confident he will beat Diaz and move on to bigger and better fights.
"It's going to get tough in there. Fighting me is like being thrown into cold water -- it shocks you," Peterson said. "I love action, and my game plan is to go in there and give fans a fun fight and show them some drama. It's a great night of boxing overall.
"I would like to avenge some defeats that I've had. I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to. I'd like to have the opportunity to go out and prove that I'm better than the people I lost to."
Lamont Peterson: 'I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to'
I also think he's currently better than everyone he's lost too
1m - Boxing
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Former junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson will face 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz on Saturday. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
-
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer
Close- 2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalism
- ESPN.com boxing writer since 2005
- Five years at USA Today
- 6 Shares
- Comment
Former junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson has been a professional boxer for 14 years.
He's had his ups: winning a world title against Amir Khan in front of his hometown crowd in Washington, D.C., in 2011. And his downs: a failed drug test that cost him one of his world title belts and left him inactive in 2012, and defeats in two of his past four bouts, a one-sided third-round knockout to Lucas Matthysse and a debatable majority-decision loss to Danny Garcia.
Through it all, Peterson has maintained his hunger to box and his desire to put in the hard work it takes to stay near the top of the sport.
Peterson must still be hungry. Just take a look at the kind of off-the-charts preparation he has gone through as he gets set to take on 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz in a welterweight bout (at 143 pounds) on Saturday (NBC, 4 p.m. ET). The fight headlines a "Premier Boxing Champions" card at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
"I'm sure I've sparred at least 500 rounds this camp," Peterson said of a shockingly large number of rounds for a fighter to prepare for any fight. "There were some weeks this camp that I would spar up to 20 rounds every day.
"I am going to show that I am confident and conditioned. This fight I trained just as hard as I have for any other fight."
Barry Hunter, Peterson's trainer and father figure, said he doesn't have to worry about trying to motivate Peterson. He said Peterson, win or lose, is always ready to work hard.
"Attitude is everything. Lamont has a fighter's mentality," Hunter said. "For the most part, between fighting and being with his daughter -- these are the two things that make him the most happy."
With the fight taking place in a Washington, D.C., suburb, Peterson will be the crowd favorite as he looks to bounce back from the majority-decision loss to Garcia on April 11 in their 143-pound bout. Garcia was the unified 140-pound world champion and Peterson went into the fight with his world title, but Garcia insisted that the long-awaited fight take place at a catchweight because of his problems making 140 pounds.
"I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
After the fight, Garcia vacated his titles and made the move to full-fledged 147-pound welterweight in August. Although Peterson's loss was a nontitle bout, he was stripped of his title after the fight.
Peterson said he can still make 140 pounds and would welcome another title shot. The catchweight against Garcia, after all, was not his idea. Peterson added that he is willing to go as high as the 154-pound junior middleweight division for the right opportunity.
"I'm still a 140-pounder. Any fight that comes in at 140 pounds, I will take it," Peterson said. "If there's no title involved or anything like that, I would fight anyone at 147, 154 -- any opportunity that makes sense, I will take it."
It would not be wise to doubt Peterson, who has a history of never backing away from a challenge. He has faced a who's who over the years, including Garcia, Matthysse, Khan, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Victor Ortiz.
Peterson, 31, is motivated to face even more of the top dogs.
"Boxing is always going to give me motivation. I love it," Peterson said. "I am a prideful person so I am going to train hard no matter who it is. I'm going to train hard. Fans know and the boxing world knows, I'm still here and I'm still learning and always getting better.
"[Saturday] I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
In Saturday's scheduled 10-round co-feature, welterweight prospect Prichard Colon (16-0, 13 KOs), 23, of Puerto Rico, will face Terrell Williams (14-0, 12 KOs), 31, of Los Angeles.
Lamont Peterson (left) suffered a majority decision loss to Danny Garcia in a nontitle bout in April. Elsa/Getty Images
Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) does not figure to have it easy against Diaz (17-0, 8 KOs), a 31-year-old southpaw with a very technical style.
Peterson is familiar with Diaz -- a native of the Dominican Republic who fights out of the Bronx, New York -- from their amateur days.
"I know a little bit about my opponent," Peterson said. "I remember him from the amateur days, fighting on the Dominican team in the Pan Am Games and places like that where he would compete.
"I remember watching him fight. He is a pretty tough guy. He was losing big and he actually came back and won the fight, so I know he has a lot of heart. At the end of the day, I don't think he has enough experience. He might show some experience, but I'm not going to look at it."
Nobody can question Diaz's experience as an am amateur, but as a professional it has been limited. He has faced weak opposition for the most part, although he is coming off his most notable win, a one-sided 10-round decision against Gabriel Bracero, who Diaz knocked down twice, on the Garcia-Peterson undercard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Peterson is confident he will beat Diaz and move on to bigger and better fights.
"It's going to get tough in there. Fighting me is like being thrown into cold water -- it shocks you," Peterson said. "I love action, and my game plan is to go in there and give fans a fun fight and show them some drama. It's a great night of boxing overall.
"I would like to avenge some defeats that I've had. I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to. I'd like to have the opportunity to go out and prove that I'm better than the people I lost to."
Lamont Peterson: 'I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to'
I also think he's currently better than everyone he's lost too
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Lamont Peterson: 'I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to'
1m - Boxing
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Former junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson will face 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz on Saturday. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer
CloseFollow on Twitter
- 2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalism
- ESPN.com boxing writer since 2005
- Five years at USA Today
Former junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson has been a professional boxer for 14 years.
- 6 Shares
- Comment
He's had his ups: winning a world title against Amir Khan in front of his hometown crowd in Washington, D.C., in 2011. And his downs: a failed drug test that cost him one of his world title belts and left him inactive in 2012, and defeats in two of his past four bouts, a one-sided third-round knockout to Lucas Matthysse and a debatable majority-decision loss to Danny Garcia.
Through it all, Peterson has maintained his hunger to box and his desire to put in the hard work it takes to stay near the top of the sport.
Peterson must still be hungry. Just take a look at the kind of off-the-charts preparation he has gone through as he gets set to take on 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz in a welterweight bout (at 143 pounds) on Saturday (NBC, 4 p.m. ET). The fight headlines a "Premier Boxing Champions" card at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
"I'm sure I've sparred at least 500 rounds this camp," Peterson said of a shockingly large number of rounds for a fighter to prepare for any fight. "There were some weeks this camp that I would spar up to 20 rounds every day.
"I am going to show that I am confident and conditioned. This fight I trained just as hard as I have for any other fight."
Barry Hunter, Peterson's trainer and father figure, said he doesn't have to worry about trying to motivate Peterson. He said Peterson, win or lose, is always ready to work hard.
"Attitude is everything. Lamont has a fighter's mentality," Hunter said. "For the most part, between fighting and being with his daughter -- these are the two things that make him the most happy."
With the fight taking place in a Washington, D.C., suburb, Peterson will be the crowd favorite as he looks to bounce back from the majority-decision loss to Garcia on April 11 in their 143-pound bout. Garcia was the unified 140-pound world champion and Peterson went into the fight with his world title, but Garcia insisted that the long-awaited fight take place at a catchweight because of his problems making 140 pounds.
"I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
After the fight, Garcia vacated his titles and made the move to full-fledged 147-pound welterweight in August. Although Peterson's loss was a nontitle bout, he was stripped of his title after the fight.
Peterson said he can still make 140 pounds and would welcome another title shot. The catchweight against Garcia, after all, was not his idea. Peterson added that he is willing to go as high as the 154-pound junior middleweight division for the right opportunity.
"I'm still a 140-pounder. Any fight that comes in at 140 pounds, I will take it," Peterson said. "If there's no title involved or anything like that, I would fight anyone at 147, 154 -- any opportunity that makes sense, I will take it."
It would not be wise to doubt Peterson, who has a history of never backing away from a challenge. He has faced a who's who over the years, including Garcia, Matthysse, Khan, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Victor Ortiz.
Peterson, 31, is motivated to face even more of the top dogs.
"Boxing is always going to give me motivation. I love it," Peterson said. "I am a prideful person so I am going to train hard no matter who it is. I'm going to train hard. Fans know and the boxing world knows, I'm still here and I'm still learning and always getting better.
"[Saturday] I am anxious to show that I still want to get better and show that there are still a lot of things that people haven't seen me do."
In Saturday's scheduled 10-round co-feature, welterweight prospect Prichard Colon (16-0, 13 KOs), 23, of Puerto Rico, will face Terrell Williams (14-0, 12 KOs), 31, of Los Angeles.
Lamont Peterson (left) suffered a majority decision loss to Danny Garcia in a nontitle bout in April. Elsa/Getty Images
Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) does not figure to have it easy against Diaz (17-0, 8 KOs), a 31-year-old southpaw with a very technical style.
Peterson is familiar with Diaz -- a native of the Dominican Republic who fights out of the Bronx, New York -- from their amateur days.
"I know a little bit about my opponent," Peterson said. "I remember him from the amateur days, fighting on the Dominican team in the Pan Am Games and places like that where he would compete.
"I remember watching him fight. He is a pretty tough guy. He was losing big and he actually came back and won the fight, so I know he has a lot of heart. At the end of the day, I don't think he has enough experience. He might show some experience, but I'm not going to look at it."
Nobody can question Diaz's experience as an am amateur, but as a professional it has been limited. He has faced weak opposition for the most part, although he is coming off his most notable win, a one-sided 10-round decision against Gabriel Bracero, who Diaz knocked down twice, on the Garcia-Peterson undercard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Peterson is confident he will beat Diaz and move on to bigger and better fights.
"It's going to get tough in there. Fighting me is like being thrown into cold water -- it shocks you," Peterson said. "I love action, and my game plan is to go in there and give fans a fun fight and show them some drama. It's a great night of boxing overall.
"I would like to avenge some defeats that I've had. I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to. I'd like to have the opportunity to go out and prove that I'm better than the people I lost to."
Lamont Peterson: 'I'm better than anyone I've ever lost to'
I also think he's currently better than everyone he's lost too
Styles make fights...this dude got beat up by bradley and lucas
Danny sure he's better
