Photo by Delane Rouse – Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
ALL-ACTION PETERSON LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST UNDEFEATED AND ‘VICIOUS’ JEAN IN INTRIGUING IBF WORLD TITLE CLASH LIVE THIS WEEKEND ON BOXNATION
LONDON (Jan. 22) – Lamont Peterson is adamant he has overcome his devastating knockout loss to Argentine bruiser Lucas Matthysse.
The IBF light-welterweight world champion steps back into the ring this weekend, live on BoxNation, when he goes up against the undefeated and big-hitting Dierry Jean at the DC Armory in Washington DC.
The bout will be Peterson’s first, following his crushing defeat last May when he was stopped inside three rounds by Matthysse – one which he insists he is over, despite the stunning nature of the defeat.
“Getting over the loss, that happened in one day,” said Peterson. “Who cares about the knockout? It’s part of boxing. That’s what happens. You pick yourself up and you move on. At this point, it’s in the past. Who cares? As a fighter, you have to block that out and you keep moving,” he said.
“As far as me moving on, I’m a fighter. At the end of the day, I had to focus on January 25th. I train hard, give it my all, and we go out there and we fight. It’s always going to be the same with me. Who cares about what happened in the last fight?,” Peterson declared.
Due to the fact Peterson faced Matthysse at the somewhat odd catchweight of 141 pounds, his IBF light-welterweight crown, which is up for grabs this weekend, was not on the line.
Some have called into question the fact Peterson has remained the IBF champion, though the Washington DC native appears unaffected and has called on his upcoming opponent, Jean, to back up his big talking in the ring.
“Who cares about what he thinks, what he says? At the end of the day I have to get in there and show him. So it’s not going to make me feel no type of way. He can say what he wants. It’s all his perception at this point. He has to go in there and show me,” Peterson said.
“At the end of the day the belts mean nothing. It means a lot to ya’ll, but it means nothing to me. I just love to fight. I go, I bust my ass in the gym, I go and I fight. I give it my all in the ring.
“Who cares about who’s number one, who’s number two, who’s pound for pound, who has this belt, who has that belt? I care less about that. So whether you look at me as a champion or not, it doesn’t make a difference,” he stated.
At 31, the opportunity to capture world title glory appears to have come just at the right time for the Haitian born Jean, who moved to Canada as a 10-year-old with his older brother.
Having blasted his way past 25 opponents, and scoring 17 knockouts, including an impressive stoppage in his last fight over Cleotis Pendarvis in the eliminator for a shot at Peterson’s IBF belt, Jean is sure his time has come.
“I see a better fighter [when compared with Peterson]. I’m more vicious. I can hit harder than him, and I want it more so I give everything to earn that title,” Jean said.
“This fight means everything for me. I’ve been working so hard to get there, and now I’m there. It’s to go conquer the belt. It’s a lot for me. I started at 18 years old, and now I’m 31. I think I deserve it now.
“I worked so hard from the bottom of my heart. So now it’s time to go get that belt. It’s my time now. Lamont did his time. Now it’s my time,” he declared.
Jean is also certain that he can capitalise on the vulnerability of Peterson given his last fight.
“It’s a great opportunity for me because I think in his mind he’s not 100% okay. So it’s going to be a great opportunity for me to strike him again, for me to catch him again, to remind him the nightmare he took last time,” said Jean.
In the co-featured bout, undefeated light-middleweight Jermell Charlo and the unyielding Gabriel Rosado square off in a highly anticipated 10-round fight for the WBC Continental Americas super welterweight title.
