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Errol Spence Jr. expected to impress against Lamont Peterson

By Jeremy Herriges

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 29: Errol Spence, Jr and Lamont Peterson speak to the press and pose during the press conference announcing their upcoming Championship Welterweight fight in January, at the Barclays Center November 29, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 29: Errol Spence, Jr and Lamont Peterson speak to the press and pose during the press conference announcing their upcoming Championship Welterweight fight in January, at the Barclays Center November 29, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images) /
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Errol Spence Jr. could be the next big thing in boxing, but he has to look good against veteran Lamont Peterson first.

Errol Spence Jr. is a young welterweight champion. The buzz surrounding him is building and an impressive victory over Lamont Peterson would go a long way in increasing his hype. Peterson is a four-time world champion, but his chances of making it five are grim against the younger rising star.

Spence was a U.S. amateur standout and Olympian. He debuted professionally in 2012, and he’s been handled carefully, but intelligently. Spence didn’t reach championship status at a blistering pace. It took him a little more than four years to earn his first world title, which is the IBF belt he currently holds.

His progress was steady and his opposition level has increased from bout to bout. He’s 28 years old now and is still preparing to take on the best boxers in the world.

He took a big step up in competition in his previous bout against Kell Brook. Brook landed on Spence, but Spence proved to have a durable chin and substantial punching power. He beat Brook into submission as he quit on one knee in the 11th round.

It could be argued that Lamont Peterson is a step down in competition when compared to Brook. Peterson is not a big puncher. He has a 44 percent KO rating compared to Brook’s 66 percent. Brook probably has faster hands than Peterson. Peterson is a better defensive boxer than Brook, but he has still been knocked out. He was knocked out by Lucas Matthysse in 2013.

Peterson’s career has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He has three losses and one draw on his record, but he’s never had back-to-back losses. He’s followed the pattern of looking good in one fight only to disappoint several fights down the road.

Peterson lost to Timothy Bradley in 2009 after winning his first title. He had a draw against Victor Ortiz after easily beating Damian Fuller. He was destroyed in three by Matthysse following a KO victory over Kendall Holt in 2013. His last loss came against Danny Garcia in 2015, but he’s had two victories since.

Peterson is due for another loss and Spence is able to deliver it. Physically, Spence and Peterson are evenly matched. Spence is a half-inch taller than the 5-foot-9 Peterson, and they both have a 72-inch reach.

The difference between the two is lies in innate talent. Spence has faster, more powerful hands. Peterson has taken this fight seriously and he is in tremendous shape, but all the training in the world can’t add to his speed or power this late in the game.

He can try to outbox Spence, but Spence is probably the more intelligent boxer of the two. Peterson has more experience and he needs to rely on it to stay on his fee against Spence, which I think he will.

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At 33 years old, Peterson still has more in the tank, but he doesn’t have the talent to beat the very best. Spence will prove that he deserves to be labeled a top 10 pound-for-pound talent. Look for him to defeat Lamont Peterson via unanimous decision.

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