Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
On Saturday, April 26, 2014, the hard-hitting Argentine “Machine,” Lucas Matthysse (35-3, 33 KOs) made his triumphant return against John Molina Jr. (27-4, 22 KOs) at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California.
Matthysse, the highly regarded Jr. Welterweight slugger, had not been in the ring since suffering a close-decision loss at the hands of undefeated champion Danny “Swift” Garcia back in September of 2013.
This bout was a chance for Matthysse to get back to his winning ways in impressive fashion and show fans and critics a few new wrinkles in his style.
After losing to Garcia, Matthysse made some changes to his team, adding former world champion Juan Martín “Latigo” Coggi as an assistant to head trainer Luis “Cuty” Barrera.
What transpired in Carson was something that nobody expected; an all-out-war and a candidate for fight of the year.
The popular sentiment going into this bout was that it would just be a matter of “when” Matthysse would catch Molina with a game-changing shot, not “if” he would be able to.
In somewhat of a surprise, it was evident early on that the size advantage for Molina would cause Matthysse some problems.
“The Machine” found it difficult to land cleanly against Molina without exposing himself and eating something in return.
If the size difference wasn’t surprising enough, the fans at the Stub Hub Center and the ones watching at home on Showtime received a serious shock when Matthysse was rocked and dropped in Round 2.
Matthysse down in Round 2 #Boxing #ThurmanDiaz pic.twitter.com/114JSAVEsD
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) April 27, 2014
Molina–being the fighter who was moving up in weight–seemingly came out of nowhere with his powerful punches as Matthysse held on and tried to compose himself.
What was most impressive about Matthysse’s reaction to being knocked down and buzzed was something he could not have been taught Barrera, Coggi or anyone else on his team, which is heart.
We know that Matthysse is a stone-cold killer on offense and that when the knockout is close, he can finish the job.
We also got a glimpse of the ever-important intangibles–heart and toughness–against Garcia after his eye was shut.
But against Molina, Matthysse showed the ability to come back from serious adversity, which not only included the difficulty of facing a significantly larger opponent, but also a cut–caused by an accidental headbutt–and two knockdowns.
To top it off, when Matthysse landed flush power punches early on in the fight, it seemed as though Molina could take them without a problem.
The same punches that crumbled Mike Dallas Jr. and Lamont Peterson early on didn’t seem to do the trick against Molina.
Certainly, that can be debilitating for a man’s confidence when his key component to winning fights is power.
But, Matthysse continued to move forward and with the use of a sturdy jab began landing powerful shots in combination.
Molina pummeled in the ropes and he goes down #Boxing #ThurmanDiaz pic.twitter.com/MKyeDWBDHo
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) April 27, 2014
In Round 10, after constant pressure, Matthysse finally sent Molina to the canvas for only the second time in his career with a barrage of punches.
Molina was able to survive the round, but Matthysse jumped on him again at the beginning of Round 11, scoring one more knockdown before the referee waived off the fight.
With the win, Matthysse showed that even when the deck is seemingly stacked against him, he can fight on.
The rugged Argentine–who sports an 85 percent knockout percentage–believes in his power and no matter what the circumstances are, he always believes he has a chance to win.
And who can disagree with him? Molina was impressive in his ability to take a punch, but sooner or later most men succumb to the power of Matthysse.
The big question now is what will be next for Al Haymon‘s “Machine.”
For Matthysse, he has made it clear that he would like a rematch with Jr. Welterweight kingpin, Danny Garcia.
But is a Garcia rematch really in the cards?
One would have to think that if the rematch with Garcia does happen, it will have to be down the road and at 147 pounds.
Garcia has a chance to face IBF titlist Lamont Peterson in an easier fight later this year before heading up to 147.
If Oscar De La Hoya is indeed as serious as he says he is about ending the Cold War with rival promotional company Top Rank, who wouldn’t want to see Matthysse matched up with Brandon Rios or even Ruslan Provodnikov–who is promoted by Banner Promotions and has also worked with Bob Arum‘s Top Rank company.
Those fights would certainly be must-see T.V.
If we’re imagining potential matchups within Golden Boy‘s stable, perhaps a move to 147 would not be a bad idea because Matthysse has already faced and defeated Zab Judah and the aforementioned Peterson.
Other possible opponents at 140 pounds include Mauricio Herrera and Adrien Broner, but Matthysse is a problem Broner doesn’t want.
For now, I leave you with Matthysse’s trademark farewell and a question that is a matter of opinion.
“Argentina la conche de su madreeee!” #Boxing #ThurmanDiaz pic.twitter.com/CffImZVQVI
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) April 27, 2014
Who would you like to see Lucas Matthysse face next?
Header photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
