By Brian Mazique
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Another weekend, another high-profile bout from the Premier Boxing Champions series. On Saturday from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Danny "Swift" Garcia (29-0, 17 KO) and Lamont "Havoc" Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KO) will meet in a 143-pound catchweight bout that could have interesting ramifications on the light welterweight or welterweight title scene.
Both Garcia (WBA and WBC) and Peterson (IBF) are 140-pound champions, but both seem to have designs on moving up to 147 pounds where there are more lucrative fights. This is Garcia's second-straight fight at a catchweight.
The Garcia-Peterson clash is the main event on a PBC card that will also feature a middleweight title bout between current WBO champion Andy Lee and former titleholder Peter Quillin. Here's how you can watch the show.
When: Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Online
Underrated, Untested or Unappreciated?
All three "u" words accurately describe Garcia to a degree.
It's true, he doesn't get the credit he deserves from most in the boxing community. He's 29-0 with wins over Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse. His win over the latter came when many were calling Matthysse the scariest man at 140 pounds. Garcia beat the scariness out of him and made it look rather easy.
Instead of quieting all the doubters, the win created another question: was Matthysse as good as everyone believed? After all, Matthysse was dragged into a Fight of the Year scrap with John Molina, a fighter most would consider beneath the top-level 140-pounders in the world.
This is the type of dissection that takes place after any of Garcia's big wins.
When you look at his other notable victories, each of them can be picked apart. He was getting pummeled by Khan until he landed a nearly blind left hook that again exposed his opponent's vulnerable chin. To be honest, I still think a rematch with Khan would end badly for Garcia.
Swift has also beaten over-the-hill versions of Zab Judah in 2013 and Erik Morales twice in 2012. Seeing Judah and Morales as conquered opponents doesn't exactly garner Garcia respect.
He struggled to beat Mauricio Herrera in a fight that some believe he lost in 2014. Herrera is a tough draw because of his style. He tends to muck up the action, but there's no question he gave Garcia problems.
Even though there are things to pick at with many of Garcia's fights, he has still been a world champion for over three years. Any fighter who has maintained his reign for that long, while competing on major networks, deserves some respect.
Havoc and Humility
Peterson has risen from a homeless youth to a ferocious competitor known for his toughness and resilience. It's no wonder—Peterson and his brother Anthony came up on the tough streets of Washington D.C. Both have beaten the odds to become successful boxers. Per Jason Bracelin of PBC.com, the Petersons had to dig through garbage for food at one point during their youth.
Havoc carries himself outside of the ring like a fighter who has endured a lot in his personal life, but in the ring he's relentless.
What he lacks in speed and power, he attempts to compensate for with effort and energy. When he faced and defeated Khan, albeit controversially, Peterson bore straight ahead with his head pinned to his opponent's chest.
He kept the punches flowing and clearly made Khan uncomfortable as he took away his room to operate. I thought Khan deserved the decision in that fight, but there was no question Peterson had a smart game plan. When he faces Garcia on Saturday, Peterson promises he'll bring another solid approach.
Peterson told Bracelin: "Throughout my career, I have an easier time-fighting well-rounded guys like Danny Garcia, honestly because I’m a well-rounded fighter. I can fight different ways, different styles.”
Prediction
Peterson is a tough guy. He has a solid chin, good cardio and he's an accurate puncher. The issue for him in this one will be his lack of power. Havoc doesn't pack a big punch, and thus it'll be hard to get Garcia to respect his shots. Swift is a counterpuncher who loves to catch and shoot once he has an opponent timed.
Because he has better footwork and power, Garcia figures to win the telling exchanges in the fight. While I do like Garcia to win, there's clearly ways Peterson could come out on top. If he can make the fight a brawl, he has a chance. The pace could negate the skill advantage Garcia possesses. Secondly, Peterson has a three-inch reach advantage.
If he can utilize his jab to control distance, he could find a good deal of success. Both of those are fairly big "ifs" considering what we've seen from both fighters, so I'll stick with my initial prediction in favor of Garcia by close unanimous decision.
