What makes boxing so great is that it is so much like life, mirroring a person’s struggle to be great, and if not great, then at least to gain a little respect. Like life, sometimes it can be predictable and sometimes it can be surprising. Sometimes if you look closely at what seems to be the predictable, you can even find the surprising. Alright, maybe sometimes you have to look really, really deep.

It is easy to see the excitement and drama in the Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson fight. It was a fight fought for pride. They fought at the catch weight of 141 pounds, meaning that no titles would change hands regardless of who won. For Peterson, a win would have meant redemption after failing a drug test on May 9, 2012, cancelling his rematch with Amir Khan. That cloud will now still be hanging over Peterson. For Matthysse, his win signals his continued ascendency in the world of international boxing. The two split decision losses, one to Devon Alexander and one to Zab Judah, fade further into the past and for some become even more questionable.

Matthysse marched into the ring with the music of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” blaring in Boardwalk Hall. Highway to Hell? Surely, Matthysse picked this song with a message in mind. Who would be on that highway? Matthysse? No, it would be Peterson. Matthysse was declaring before the fight began that he was going to pack Peterson’s bags and send him on a trip. It all added to the drama. It is easy to be dramatic and to make predictions, but it is nearly impossible to make them become reality. To make it become a reality, a vision and a plan is needed.

Peterson came into the fight with a plan, one that surely revolved around the idea of not hitting the canvas. The first round Peterson appeared to be in control. He never got too close to Matthysse, and he landed a few good punches. Matthysse, however, had a plan of his own, a plan that has been working for him for fight after fight since he turned professional in 2004. It revolved around the idea of doing exactly what Peterson was trying to avoid, knocking Peterson to the canvas.

The second round saw the change. Within seconds of the bell, Matthysse was in control. He landed a combination and staggered Peterson. Then Matthysse landed a right followed by a left, causing Peterson to stumble backward and hit the canvas. When Peterson got back to his feet, he was on the run, Matthysse hit him again, causing Peterson stumble forward this time, catching and holding on to Matthysse to keep from going down again.

Peterson was having little effect on Matthysse. He needed to knock him down to try to even things up. But that was not about to happen. The only person to put Matthysse on the canvas was Matthysse himself. Swinging with a such force at Peterson and missing early in the third round, Matthysse knocked himself off balance and found himself on the canvas. The two began fighting in close. Matthysse knocked Peterson down with a left hook. Peterson got up, looking a little shaky but wanting to continue. Matthysse chased after Peterson, landing another left hook and knocking Peterson into the ropes. Referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight. And with that Peterson’s chance for redemption was gone.

 

In the co-main event, Devon Alexander easily won against Lee Purdy. No one was really giving Purdy much of a chance. He was a replacement, not the first choice. So what’s the surprise? It would be hard to say much about this fight because it seemed so one sided. However, the tapes should be reviewed, and spectators need to be interviewed. It seems that we might have a miracle on our hands. A miracle? Quite a big claim, but let’s review the evidence. I will simply look at my notes from a few random rounds to make my point.

In the second round, when Purdy landed a shot, Alexander came back twice as hard. They fought the majority of the fight in the center of the ring. Alexander was landing combination after combination, attacking the head and body of Purdy. When Purdy threw a punch near the end of the round, he was hit by Alexander.

In round six, they were fighting in the center of the ring. Alexander was throwing and landing 2 to 3 times as many shots as Purdy. Purdy doing little. When he does open up to throw, he is getting hit. Round seven, the fight is still in the center of the ring. Alexander landing at least twice the amount of punches as Purdy. Purdy getting hit while trying to throw a punch.

It took me a few rounds to figure it out, but it was all right there. We were witnessing the same round being fought again and again. It was as though time had stopped, or was stuck in a continuous loop, and we were witnessing the same three minutes over and over again. Purdy’s corner must have seen it. They obviously saw the futility in continuing after round seven.

As for the ranting madmen, we need look no further than Junior Middleweights Phil Lo Greco and Shawn Porter. Porter had the upper hand from the beginning of the fight. He was pressuring Lo Greco around the ring and seemed to have little trouble. While Lo Greco had his moments, he was never able to change the dynamic of the fight for even a single round. By round four, it seemed to be getting to him. He started talking to Porter in the ring. Was it a taunt? Was it a complaint? From where I was sitting I will probably never know. The referee warned him. But it was easy to see what might have made Lo Greco mad. There were a few times when it seemed as though Porter was holding Lo Greco and hitting. Now maybe it was simply that they were fighting in close, which can cause fighters to get tangled up. Or maybe it was a tactic. Porter was never warned for it. In fact, when he started talking, he was not warned by the referee. Nevertheless, it was Porter’s fight. He knocked Lo Greco down in the eighth and tenth. Porter won by unanimous decision, with the scores 100-88, 99-89, and 100-88.

The magically appearing crowd has become something all too common at big fights in Atlantic City. The official numbers might not have been given to the press at 8 p.m., but it was clear that there were no more than a thousand watching the undercard fights. Then, as if just on cue, the majority of seats in the view of the cameras managed to fill up as Showtime was about to go on air. One of the great things about fighting in a casino driven town is that unsold seats can be given away as comps. So by 9 or 9:15, they know how many seats still need to be filled and those seats are given away to loyal gamblers. In addition, Golden Boy was running contests to let people upgrade from the $25 seats to the $50 seats. There is nothing wrong with this practice. It is totally the promoters decision. However, if I might be so bold, let me offer another solution to the empty seats. Golden Boy, you are holding a fight in Atlantic City. Why are there no fighters from Atlantic City, Philadelphia, or New York City?
Bring in the local fighters. Bring in the fans of the local fighters. Sell more seats. I am sure the gamblers will understand.


Other Undercard Results:

Bantamweights Haroon Khan knocked out his opponent Vicente Medellin in round one.

Light Heavyweight Thomas Williams Jr. won by unanimous decision over Otis Griffin. The scores were 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

Middleweight Anthony Ogogo won against Edgar Perez, getting the unanimous decision. The scores were 60-54, 60-54, and 60-53.

Bantamweight Cesar Seda won by unanimous decision against Miguel Tamayo. The scores were 79-73, 80-72, and 80-70.

Junior Welterweight Anthony Peterson won by TKO against Dominic Salcido. The fight was stopped in the third round.

Bantamweight Rau’ Shee Warren won by TKO against Angel Carvajal. The fight was stopped in the fourth.

Lightweight Robert Easter, Jr won by TKO against Eduardo Guillen. The fight was stopped in the second.

Lightweight Jamel Herring won by TKO against Victor Galindo. The fight was stopped in round one.