Lucas Matthysse knocks out Tewa Kiram in round 8
Lucas Matthysse succeeded in climbing up the welterweight ranks against Thai boxer Tewa Kiram with a KO victory, but he showed his age in the process.
Lucas Matthysse is known for having heavy hands. He has always been more of a brawler than a boxer and his hands have produced numerous knockout victories. He stepped into the ring against Tewa Kiram, a mysterious opponent from Thailand. When they went toe-to-toe in the ring, Matthysse looked like he was fighting a giant. Matthysse and Kiram are welterweights, but Kiram looked like a middleweight. His size was an issue for Matthysse from the opening round.
In rounds one through three, Kiram fought on the outside and threw and connected on a high number of jabs. Matthysse played the role of aggressor, but he struggled to get inside on Kiram. He started to land some powerful body punches toward the end of round three.
Kiram’s punches were plentiful but didn’t appear to be powerful — until round four. He landed several right hands that appeared to hurt Matthysse. Kiram stopped several opponents in past bouts with his straight right, but they were no-name opponents. Matthysse was the first world-class boxer that he has fought.
In round five, Matthysse’s rudimentary boxing skills allowed Kiram to tie him up every time he got inside. There wasn’t much action and the crowd grew restless. Boos started to echo The Forum.
Not much changed in round six. Matthysse continued to chase, and Kiram continued to hold. Their combination of styles made for an ugly fight.
A dramatic moment occurred between rounds five and six. HBO revealed footage of Kiram’s corner where a jar with an unknown was taken by the referee. He started to smell it and sent it to boxing commissioners to be inspected.
The excitement again grew in round eight when Matthysse sent Kiram crashing to the canvas with a left-right combination with two minutes remaining in the round. Matthysse’s dormant performance quickly transformed into an enthusiastic attack.
Kiram got to his feet, but the damage was done. Matthysse jumped on him and knocked him down with a powerful left jab. Kiram couldn’t get back up. Matthysse turned a dreadful performance into a KO victory.
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Matthysse is 35 years old, and his best years are behind him. He’s now the WBA welterweight champion but is far behind the likes of Errol Spence Jr. and Keith Thurman in terms of talent and skill. Before the knockout, Matthysse looked lethargic and old. He once again relied on his power for a win.
He can rely on his thunderous punches to win against lower caliber opponents like Kiram, but they won’t save him from the top five within the welterweight division. He should enjoy his victory but his future appears shallow.