Lamont Peterson and Sergey Lipinets beat each other for 10 rounds, but it was Peterson who broke down later in the fight.
Lamont Peterson (35-5-1, 17 KOs) is a boxer who has existed in the top ranks of the super lightweight and welterweight divisions since 2007. He faltered against some of boxing’s biggest names, but he has always given it his all in every fight. Sunday, March 24 was no different when he battled the younger Sergey Lipinets (15-1, 11 KOs). Unfortunately, it was the last time we would see him in the ring.
At 35 years old, Peterson has taken a lot of punishment. Coming into Sunday’s Premier Boxing Champions bout, he had been knocked out on two occasions. Lucas Matthysse stopped him in 2013, and Errol Spence Jr. ended his night early in their 2018 contest. Lipinets made it a third and final time.
Peterson boxed very well for the first three rounds. He utilized his jab, mixed in hooks to the body and kept his space from Lipinets. His dominance over his inexperienced challenger eroded in the fourth. Lipinets was aggressive and closed the distance. His straight right hand also started to connect regularly.
Rounds five and six were competitive and could have gone either way, but Peterson out-landed Lipinets in both. By the seventh round he was building up a nice lead on the scorecards, but things fell apart in the eighth.
Peterson’s work rate lowered in the eighth and Lipinets took advantage. According to CompuBox stats, he threw a total of 72 punches and landed only 20. That’s a pretty high total for most boxers, but it was Peterson’s lowest output in any round.
With a minute left, Lipinets hit Peterson with a straight right that he didn’t see coming. Peterson’s faculties were knocked loose as he struggled with his feet to remain standing. He managed to keep from going down, but Peterson was hurt. He tried to escape Lipinets’ assault, but he was nearly knocked out. Peterson wasn’t the same again.
Peterson tried to recover in the ninth by boxing Lipinets at the start. He found his jab and moved on the outside, but his legs couldn’t outrun Lipinets’ tenacity. At the midway point, Lipinets got inside of Peterson’s reach and punished his body with hooks from both hands.
The 10th followed the same pattern as the previous round, with Peterson starting well only to collapse down the stretch. The only difference was that he couldn’t take any more abuse in the ring.
In the final 30 seconds, Lipinets hurt Peterson with a left hook and he followed it up with a succession of hooks. He sent Peterson to the canvas with a left to the jaw. Peterson’s trainer Barry Hunter threw in the towel, and the referee stopped the bout.
Lipinets is a talented boxer who can take a punch, but he’s not a top-five caliber fighter. Peterson realized that he had hit the end of his career if he couldn’t be a boxer at Lipinets’ level. During his post-fight interview, Peterson admitted, “I’m sure it’s time for me to hang it up.”
Peterson was very ambitious against Lipinets and won the majority of the fight, but his body didn’t react well to Lipinets’ pressure and power. Peterson had a long, successful career and should be proud of all his accomplishments. He knew that it was time to step away from boxing.
Many boxers have a hard time leaving the sport behind, but Peterson seems set on his decision which shows his wisdom. It’s sad to see him retire after a knockout loss, but he put on a terrific show and entertained one last time.