Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson: Live round by round results

See how the first big boxing championship bout of 2018 went down as Errol Spence Jr. and Lamont Peterson collided for the IBF welterweight title in Brooklyn.

There’s always a lull in the sweet science around the holidays, so it’s great when a big fight is made for January to get the year in boxing started right. Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson could very well get things kicked off in exciting fashion.

Spence (22-0, 19 KOs) comes in as the undefeated champion looking to take the next step toward greatness and mainstream acclaim. It’s the first defense of the welterweight belt he won by defeating Kell Brook in Brook’s native England last May, unquestionably the biggest victory of his pro career.

In contrast, Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs) has been to the top of the mountain before, both winning and losing world titles. His career has put him in the ring with the likes of Timothy Bradley. Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and more. At 33, he’s not over the hill, but he’s the underdog at the Barclays Center on Saturday night.

The challenger, Peterson, makes his way to the ring first. Two days shy of his 34th birthday, he is 5-1 in world title fights. His relative inactivity could be a factor, as he’s fought only once since October 2015. This is only his second fight at welterweight after beating David Avanesyan last February.

Sporting a fur hood, Spence comes out second. The Brook fight was his only bout in the last 17 months, and he’s talked openly about wanting to fight more often.

The tale of the tape shows the boxers almost identical in height, weight and reach. It is a lefty vs. righty matchup, however, and the age difference may or may not come into play.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. does the introductions and we are ready to go.

Be sure to refresh this page often as we update the action live as each round plays out in Brooklyn.

Round 1

Cautious jabs flow form both men, though more from Spence . He touches Peterson to the body with a left hand. There’s another from Spence. Peterson keeps his guard high but the champ sneaks one shot through. Spence lands two more lefts to the body. The ref warns Spence for a borderline body shot. Peterson finally gets his own jab to land.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence

Round 2

Paulie Malignaggi thinks Lamont’s slow start was by design as he feels out the champ. Spence looks like he can land the left to the body off the jab whenever he wants, though the ref cautions him again. Peterson lands a right and a left hook. Another right follows, and he’s looking a little more confident. Big miss by Spence but he lands a left and right to the body. Left uppercut by Spence partially lands. A good combo by Spence ends with an uppercut. Short counter right by Peterson stops Spence from charging in. Good left hook by Peterson as he rotates to his left.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence, 20-18 Spence after 2 rounds

Round 3

Peterson tries to smother Spence, but the champ can sling the uppercut from that range. He’s able to step forward from just outside Peterson’s range and fire two-punch combos. Both men land to the body, with Spence getting the better of it. Peterson finally backs Spence up, but the champ pivots away and all of a sudden both men are scoring. Peterson covers up but Spence is throwing heavy leather high and low. A body left by Spence almost leads to a big right in return at the bell.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence, 30-27 Spence after 3 rounds

Round 4

No head clashes yet despite the left-right dynamic, but that almost changes in the opening seconds of Round 4. Spence sneaks in another good left to the body, but the referee doesn’t like the next one, calling time to warn him about straying too low. Peterson looks like he is trying to come forward more but volume is keeping him at bay. Spence retreats for a moment, but he hasn’t been able to be cornered so far. Left uppercut lands for Spence as he circles his target and keeps firing. Both fighters land power shots upstairs, but Spence didn’t look bothered by his foe’s best shot so far.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence, 40-36 after 4 rounds

Round 5

Can Peterson be busy enough to change the script? He comes charging forward and lands a left hook. Spence responds with two-shot combos, and a left hook lands that puts Peterson on his butt. He’s up to beat the count, but let’s see how buzzed he is. Spence catches him with another left hook that wobbles him but he tries to fire back. Peterson gets a right hand in but Spence is standing in to exchange. The crowd comes to life as both men stand their ground and throw huge shots. Good chin and heart on display for both these warriors. Good, good stuff.

FanSided scores it: 10-8 Spence, 50-44 after 5 rounds

Round 6

We’ll see how much that last round took out of Peterson. Spence jabs his way in, backing Peterson to the ropes and landing with both hands to the body. The ref tells Peterson not to push Spence’s head down as they tie up. Right by Peterson but three or four punches come back. A little more grabbing on the inside this round, and Peterson lands a counter left before he gets pushed back by combination punches. Al Bernstein says Peterson is finally showing more lateral movement, which might help him.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence, 60-53 after 6 rounds

Round 7

Peterson told his trainer between rounds, “I’m losing every round, a boxing match won’t do it.” That’s an astute mid-fight observation. The doctor was looking at his eye too. He’s trying to be more evasive in this frame, but Spence is always right in his face. Uppercut-left-hook-body shot by Spence is a combination you don’t see many fighters throw. Both men jab, and it’s turned back into more of a boxing match than a slugfest. Spence finally backs Peterson up in the closing seconds and touches him a few times.

FanSided scores it: 10-9 Spence, 70-62 after 7 rounds

There was an extended discussion in the Peterson corner after Round 7, and it sounded like the fighter wanted to continue on. But right before the bell was going to ring, and perhaps because both of his eyes are swollen, Peterson’s trainer says he’s seen enough. Another stoppage victory for “The Truth,” who simply had too many weapons in his arsenal.

Officially, the TKO comes at :01 of Round 8. The winner … and still IBF welterweight champion of the world … “The Truth” Errol Spence Jr.