WHO WON THE WEEKEND? Lamont Peterson Gets The W

The NYF Squad weighed in, and offered varied takes..but ultimately, I over-rode the numbers and went with my heart and gut.

Kubrat Pulev impressed many watchers on ESPN and Sam Maxwell rode the coat-tails of his viral video splash to get judge love here at NYF….and Lamont Peterson capped a career and solidified his legacy as a solid craftsman, but even more so, a classy competitor.

“Kubrat Pulev won the weekend,” said Kelsey McCarson. “Pulev was cut early against Bogdan Dinu but rebounded for the stoppage win against a fighter who had beaten him in the amateurs. Pulev is looking like a solid future opponent for lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and the division in general is on its way to being a really awesome thing.”

Kubrat Pulev shrugged off a cut and stopped Bogdan Dinu on ESPN. Pic by Mikey Williams.

“I’m going with Sam Maxwell,” said David Phillips. “Who the hell is Sam Maxwell? He’s an undefeated prospect who was getting cleanly decisioned by fellow prospect Sabri Sediri. Sediri got way too cute in the final round. Mugging and carrying on like a fool. Then he leaned into one. And Sediri’s O had to go.

Who won the weekend, Chris Glover? “Sam Maxwell. Turned round a fight in the last round against an undefeated and extremely talented Frenchman in Leicester, England with a knockout that’s video has gone viral worldwide. He also picked up the WBO European Super Lightweight title. Sam is one of the nicest people I’ve met in boxing and a credit to the sport and his local area where we are both from. He deserves all the success he gets and to pull a right hand sent from god out of the bag in the dying seconds of a fight is star material stuff. Sam Maxwell won the weekend for me!”

“DAZN had Joshua Buatsi on the undercard for a fight between two not-quite-world level flyweights and in Charlie Edwards and Angel Moreno and the kid stole the show,” said Tom Penney. “He looked poised, polished and above all, dangerous. I have high hopes for Buatsi, and while British prospects have fooled me before, I can see big things in his future.”

“Lamont Peterson and the city of D.C. won this weekend,” Xavier Porter said. “This man, along with his brother, beat the odds, the every day struggle of growing up in one of the worse cities (violence, murder, drugs, etc) and became a 3x world champion. He defied falling into the trap that plagues so many young African-American men in our inner cities and he showed others that you too can become greater than your surroundings. Being homeless, living out of abandon cars, houses, eating out of garbage cans and bathing wherever you can, that mental focus and determination transferred inside the ring. He fought for his city every time he stepped inside that ring. Most importantly, he fought for those who continue to deal with the struggles of life and the economy that we live under. This man recovered from childhood abuse, neglect, became a father figure to his little and many others. And he did it without ever asking for acknowledgement. He’s one of the most humble fighters we’ll ever see in a sport that’s now based around money and flash. In my book, didn’t just win this weekend, he won throughout his career and is a guaranteed HALL OF FAMER.”

“One name – Sergey Lipinets,” said Hamza Ahmed. “Jab was right, my man Peterson was in danger and Jab proved to be prescient, correctly predicting for the ‘Samurai’ to wear down Peterson before eventually stopping him. It was an excellent fight, inside territory where both men just waged war but Lipinets’ quicker shots which looped around and onto Peterson proved to be the difference maker as he caught, stunned and then finished off Peterson. It’s not a prime Peterson he beat but still one good enough to warrant attention in a stacked welterweight division. It’ll be interesting to see where Lipinets goes from here. As for Peterson, he’s your favourite fighter’s favourite fighter. Enjoy well earned retirement champ!”

My card? Lamont Peterson won the weekend for me. He got stopped out by Sergey Lipinets, in his first outing after Errol Spence stopped him and the ring, after Lipinets hammered him, he took the mic and, as classy as ever, announced he was hanging up the gloves.

Lipinets was the younger and fresher fighter against Lamont Peterson.

He’s 35…he debuted as a pro in 2004 and he repped the sport beyond well. Peterson reminded us that boxing is a savior for some kids–it gave him a focus and an outlet beyond the street life he was almost destined for. Lamont Peterson, congrats on winning the weekend, and being a role model as a humble warrior.