Junior Welterweight

For a sport that touts a perfect balance between aggressive and reactionary fighters, WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley must understand that an offensive approach against Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday will only leave him face down on the mat.

Marquez is well-known in boxing circles as one of the sport's best counter punchers, but the public was awakened to that fact courtesy of the counter punch that recently sent Manny Pacquiao to the mat in December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeXCTlMQ0cY

What Bradley, known for his incredible stamina and speed, has to understand is he will play right into Marquez's hands if he acts as the aggressor.

Bradley is no fool, but this is a point that must be driven home considering his recent performance in March against the Siberian Ruslan Provodnikov. In the match, Bradley elected to come out aggressive with an ill-advised strategy and was almost knocked out twice in the first two rounds.

While he bounced back to defeat Provodnikov, the wrong strategy against a man like Marquez, who is well on his way to the Hall of Fame, will cost Bradley the match, his title and pride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y9L15cJv1k

Bradley is in no way a slugger, anyway. He has knocked out just 12 of 30 opponents and better relies on the fundamental aspects of boxing, picking and choosing his spots. Add in the fact Marquez has never been knocked out and it's easy to see Bradley must rely on what he does best.

Picking and choosing his spots properly also means effectively finding a way to avoid the elite counter punches of Marquez. This means Bradley must utilize his elite footwork to crowd the man who has knocked out 40 of his 55 opponents in large part thanks to his straight-right counter.

For as exceptional as Marquez's career has been to this point, he struggles with fighters who do not play into his strategy. Floyd Mayweather Jr. used speed and a similar strategy to the one Bradley employs to all but shutout Marquez way back in 2009.

Now 40 years old, Marquez is even more susceptible to Bradley sitting back and picking his spots. Rather than the use of combinations, which gives Marquez something to counter, Bradley must crowd Marquez and quickly hop back out to nullify Marquez's strength.

At 30 years old, Bradley has had an outstanding career but has failed to make it from a popularity standpoint, especially after a controversial spit decision over Pacquiao in June of 2012.

Bradley's typical fighting style actually works against him with fans, as they would much rather watch an offensive display in the ring. Against Marquez, it's what Bradley must rely on for a victory—the fans and popularity will come with a legit win over Marquez regardless of how sexy it is.

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling

Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez are all but set to square off Saturday night, Oct. 12, in a fight that pits Bradley's courage against the experience and pride of Marquez. Each fighter has his own strengths and weaknesses, and how those weaknesses are exploited by the other fighter will likely determine the winner.

Both fighters have defeated Manny Pacquiao, but this match will be different, as both will be looking to make yet another statement.

Bradley will be attempting to prove to everyone that his controversial win over Pacquaio wasn't a fluke. He has beaten Ruslan Provodnikov since his decision over Pacquiao, but Marquez represents much more of a test. At 30-0, Bradley is also looking to remain undefeated.

The 40-year-old Marquez will be fighting for pride and to prove that he still has something left in the tank against a much younger opponent.

This fight has all the makings of a great one. Here are some strengths and weaknesses to look out for heading into the bout.

Bradley's Strengths:

After nearly being knocked out twice in the first two rounds against Provodnikov, Bradley fought his heart out and won in dominant fashion. An intangible like Bradley's heart and willingness to keep fighting is what sets him apart from the rest of the boxing world.

Marquez is a quality fighter as well and will be coming at Bradley from all angles. Expect him to go after Bradley early and often. It'll be Bradley's goal to maintain focus and keep fighting strong until he gets his opportunity.

Bradley knows how to hustle and has superior boxing skills compared to the rest of the welterweight division. He is a fundamentally sound boxer who won't make big mistakes by leaving himself open or attempting punches that will be easily evaded.

If Bradley can stay fundamentally sound and not succumb to the pressure in this one, then there's no reason why he can't defeat Marquez.

Marquez's Strengths:

People can say all they want about Marquez's experience being an advantage and a strength, but his age counteracts that as one of his weaknesses.

Marquez's real advantages come in his precise mastery of how to counterpunch. He has the uncanny ability of timing his opposition early in fights to capitalize on landing punches in sequence while his opponent recoils his own arm.

This also helps Marquez to defend punches and land hits of his own. Defeating a fundamental fighter like Bradley will rest on Marquez's ability to do just that.

Marquez also boasts the skills on defense to complement his ability to counterpunch. By constantly circling his opponent and keeping his feet moving, Marquez makes it difficult for his opponent to set his feet and deliver powerful strikes.

It's the little things that count for Marquez.

Bradley's Weaknesses

It's a weakness that can easily be mitigated by landing enough punches, but Bradley isn't the strongest of fighters. He doesn't always hit exceptionally hard. Instead, he focuses on chipping away at his opponent. While it's not a bad strategy, it will lower his chances of knocking out Marquez before he can do some damage.

When fighting inside with his head down, which is an area of fighting where Marquez excels, Bradley has a tendency to open up his body and throw punches wide. That leaves him open for counterpunches to the midsection. Counterpunches are, of course, a specialty of Marquez.

Bradley's ability to bully fighters in close-range fighting actually lends to Marquez's style. Marquez is great at ducking and dodging potential strikes to the upper body and head, and Bradley will give him plenty of opportunities to do so.

Marquez's Weaknesses

Sometimes, Marquez will choose to withstand a hit and deliver a counterpunch rather than block the delivery. While this bodes well for his offense, it could certainly add up and tire him out early.

Marquez is a smart fighter and there's no doubting the fact that he knows what he's doing in the ring. Regardless, taking too many body shots against Bradley could be dangerous. Bradley is resilient and will eat up those counterpunches in an effort to land those of his own.

If that happens, this will turn into an all-out brawl. At that point, the fight could be a tossup.

Marquez should look to counterpunch intelligently against Bradley. By blocking or slowing down some of Bradley's deliveries, Marquez will be able to pick his spots later on in the fight.

Danny Garcia was able to hold onto his title belt after a unanimous-decision win over Lucas Matthysse Saturday night in Las Vegas, but now Garcia has to look ahead to the next fight.

It was an incredible fight to watch.  At the beginning, it was clear that Matthysse was in control of the fight.  He was landing some nice shots and kept the pace up by continuously throwing big punches.

Garcia finally started to come back, however.  While Matthysse kept looking to take his opponent's head off, Garcia was focused on keeping the pace and continuing to fight like a true boxer.

Matthysse kept staying aggressive, but then the seventh round came.

Swelling started to form around Matthysse's right eye, and his vision obviously started to blur.  Garcia's best shot is his left hook, and he was taking advantage of the lack of vision up until the end.  He kept using his left, which Matthysse was unable to block.

Round 11 officially decided it.  Despite Matthysse landing strong shots one after another to start the round, his eye swelling slowed him down, and Garcia went at him.  He was able to knock Matthysse down for the first time in his career, and by then it was over.

Garcia was able to improve to 27-0 on his career, and according to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the fourth title defense by him.

With this win, it's now time for him to look at his next fight, so what are some options?

Zab Judah would be an interesting opponent.  He's the former undisputed welterweight champion and lost by unanimous decision to Garcia in their previous fight.  According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, there a chance this could happen, although it's unlikely, saying:

Judah said he couldn't pick a winner but did make one thing clear -- he'd like a rematch with the winner. 

"Absolutely," he said. "You know what I'm about. I want the big fights and to fight the best guys. So a rematch is something I'd like to do and I think the fans would like that too." 

Perhaps the more intriguing option, which was talked about during the broadcast, is a fight between Garcia and Floyd Mayweather.  Mayweather has been the top fighter in the world for a long time, and it would be an excellent opportunity for the undefeated Garcia.

For now, he will sit back and enjoy that he was able to retain his title.  He's still an undefeated fighter and one of the best boxers in the world, so whomever he fights next will make for an exciting bout.

Both Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov are used to action-packed fights. The two men separately stated their cases for Fight of the Year honors earlier this year when they participated in all-action wars against favored opponents. 

Now they'll get a chance to share the same ring on Oct. 19, and if the past is any indicator, boxing fans should be salivating. This fight has all the makings of absolute warfare and could be a Fight of the Year contender in its own right. 

If you listen to Mike Alvarado, you should prepare for a battle:

Alvarado is best known for his two fights with Brandon Rios. Their 2012 contest was considered by many to be the Fight of the Year and ended with Alvarado suffering his first defeat. 

But he avenged that loss earlier this year in a bout that, while not quite as good as the first, produced many moments of high drama. It proved that "Mile High" can be an entertaining fighter when he's matched with an opponent willing to meet fire with fire.

That's exactly what he'll get in Provodnikov.

The 29-year-old Russian established his credentials in a clash with WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley this past March. Provodnikov showed power and heart in losing a closer-than-expected unanimous decision.

He even floored "Desert Storm" in the 12th round and had the champ hanging on for dear life at the final bell.

That's something that Manny Pacquiao didn't do even once during his fight with Bradley last June.

So get ready for some fireworks because neither of these guys is going to back down. They will trade bombs from the opening bell, and it wouldn't be surprising to see this fight end before the final bell tolls. 

But who has the advantage going into what will certainly be a late contender for Fight of the Year? 

Alvarado is the bigger and more tested fighter. He's taller and possesses a nearly four-inch advantage in reach. He's known as the prototypical boxer-puncher, and he can fight comfortably in a boxing match or a slugfest.

But he's also older, and he's been stopped in the past by a fighter with a similar style to his opponent in October. That has to be on his mind when he enters training camp and develops his game plan for the fight. 

To his credit, he was able to completely change his approach in his rematch with Rios. Both he and his team realized that standing in a phone booth for three minutes every round and slugging made for exciting television, but it also cost him the fight the first time around.

He was hit far less often in the rematch, engaged less and darted in and out to land his power shots.

It was still exciting, though perhaps less so than the first fight. Nevertheless, Alvarado showed that he is more than a one-trick pony and can be an effective boxer as well as a slugger.

He'd probably be wise to apply that style against Provodnikov. 

Against Bradley, the Russian looked superb when he was able to goad his opponent into exchanges. It allowed him to exploit his superior power and hurt his opponent on several occasions. 

But when Bradley boxed effectively and controlled the distance, he was clearly the better fighter.

This exposed a huge flaw in Provodnikov's game and established the blueprint for how to defeat him. Nothing about that is meant to imply it will be easy, but the right fighter, fighting the right style, can keep the bout at a distance and neutralize the Russian's aggression.

The question for Alvarado is whether or not he's that type of fighter. He's proved in the past that he can be, but he'll be facing pressure against Provodnikov that he hasn't experienced before. 

This will force him to engage more than he did against Rios, and it will catapult this into the Fight of the Year discussion. But it also presents more risk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MH8kq8wGOo

The fight will be broadcast as the main event of an HBO televised event that will also feature the replay of the previous week's clash between Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

That alone makes it a prime-time spot for two fighters looking to emerge into the spotlight. 

But then add into the mix the current temperature of the boxing world.

For years, HBO was the undisputed cable television leader when it came to boxing. But with the recent departure of pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather and the entire Golden Boy Promotions stable of fighters to Showtime, the network is looking for new stars to sell fights.

Both Alvarado and Provodnikov have the styles that can attract people to the sport and help fill the void.

That means both guys will be under the gun to showcase not just their boxing skill but also their marketability. 

Add into the equation that Alvarado will be fighting in front of his hometown fans—this will be the first major professional boxing event in Colorado in 13 years—and you know he'll be looking to make a statement. 

Nothing makes a statement in boxing more than an impressive knockout, and that's what both guys will be looking for on Oct. 19. 

Both guys are tough as nails, and neither will back down. But Alvarado has more potential paths to victory. He can box when he needs to and can exchange with Provodnikov when he chooses.

It's hard to pick against the Russian's grit and determination, but unless he adds a new wrinkle to his game, I have to side with the local fighter.

Don't be surprised if there are knockdowns, lots of bruising and swelling, and even some blood. But at the end of the night, Alvarado will have his hand raised.

But there will be no losers—not Provodnikov and certainly not boxing fans. 

If you're looking for the next bout that could become a candidate for Fight of the Year, look no further than the Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO) vs. Lamont "Havoc" Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO) bout on Saturday night.

Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City is the location for what should be an epic battle between two of the best lightweights in the world.

. @StephenEspinoza - "@kingpete26 vs. Lucas Matthysse promises to be one of the best fights this year." Don't miss it, Sat. at 9p.

— All the Smoke Fight (@ats_fight) May 15, 2013

Much is at stake in this bout as the winner will earn a shot at WBC champion Danny Garcia.

Both fighters are fan favorites who fight an action-packed style. This could be a war that precipitates a rematch after the winner goes on to face Garcia.

"I'm a #boxing fan so fights like this get me excited--even though I'm the one fighting" @kingpete26 #ACFightNight

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) May 13, 2013

Who will emerge victorious in this all-important clash at 140 pounds? Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, May 18 9 p.m. CT

Where: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

TV: Showtime

Streamed: Replay available the day after on Showtime Anytime (Pay Service)

The Book on Matthysse

The Man Almost No One Wants to Fight

The 30-year-old from Argentina is the type of fighter many big names will avoid at all cost. He is dangerous in the ring, and up to now he hasn't been widely known throughout the sport.

The risk/reward factor involved is enough to scare fighters with reputations to maintain away. Matthysse has done everything he needs to do to eliminate one aspect of that dynamic.

He just keeps winning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqnZMT7Cmk

By running through opponents, he has made himself impossible to ignore. An increasing amount of fans know just how great a fighter he has become, and even more, they love his action-packed approach in the ring.

Matthysse told Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine:

“Winning on Saturday night in a big fashion will open some doors. I want the big fights against the big names and it all starts on Saturday night."

Just as Matthysse stalks and cuts off the ring in combat, he is cutting off the exits of the top fighters at 140 pounds. Now the path to supremacy at light welterweight goes through him.

In the Ring

You may look at the insanely high KO percentage (86.11) Matthysse has and dismiss him as a slugger. That would be inaccurate.

While he certainly has the power to readjust a fighter's face; Matthysse is an underrated boxer as well. He's patient, counter-punches well and employs more head movement than most action fighters. 

His best asset could be his body punching. He wears opponents down and breaks their will with hard shots to the midsection. This guy is a handful to deal with.

He does have some issues with speedy fighters, though.

Both of his losses came to movers (Zab Judah and Devon Alexander). Though the decisions were controversial, Judah and Alexander were able to befuddle Matthysse enough to finish the fight and get the win.

The Book on Peterson

Never Afraid, Never Intimidated

Obviously, not everyone is avoiding Matthysse. Peterson told Tim Smith of Ring Magazine:

"When they said no one wants to fight him, that got under my skin. He’s in my weight class. I wanted to fight him to prove that there was someone out there that wants to fight him."

That's totally in line with Havoc's character. He is a grinding, tough fighter who seems to enjoy taking on major opponents.

Just as he isn't intimidated by Matthysse's reputation, he wasn't spooked by Amir Khan's talent and mystique.

He won the IBF and WBA titles by defeating Khan in Peterson's hometown of Washington, D.C, in Dec. 2010. Two point deductions caused Khan to lose the bout by split decision.

I scored the fight for Khan, but no one could dispute the heart and will Peterson showed throughout. He was stripped of the title after he tested positive for a banned substance prior to the rematch with Khan.

Adversity is nothing new for Peterson. He fought through meager beginnings that included poverty, neglect and homelessness.

It is no surprise Peterson has rebounded well from his struggles. He stopped Kendall Holt in February and that has set up this clash with Matthysse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYiY7frwh34

He knows this is a big challenge, but it's just the latest in a long line.

In the Ring

When looking at Peterson in the ring, nothing spectacular jumps out at you. He is a good puncher, but he doesn't have devastating power.

He's not exceptionally quick, but Havoc just keeps coming.

Sometimes it appears he has an endless amount of energy in reserve and his will to win is greater than his opponents. He stays in great condition and applies pressure nearly from bell to bell.

Peterson loves to take away his opponents' space to operate. While he's plastered to their chests, he smashes to the body and periodically fires power shots to the head.

Just got off the phone with Lamont Peterson, he says he'll be a guy that will go to Matthysse's body and slow his attack down #boxing

— Steve Kim - the Thomas Sowell of Boxing (@SteveKim323) May 8, 2013

Does he take shots in the process? Absolutely, but as he told Smith:

"You know you’re going to get hit during the fight. I don’t worry about anybody’s punching power until I get hit."

The major question for Peterson in this fight is: can he absorb the hits he's bound to take from Matthysse?

Prediction

I love Peterson's heart, but it is hard to imagine his style being effective against Matthysse. Peterson is usually a second-half fighter, but Matthysse's body attack should even slow Peterson down.

Expect to see Matthysse win an exciting fight by late-round stoppage.

Follow me, because I love boxing and you do too.

Follow @BrianMazique

Danny Garcia gutted out a unanimous decision win over Zab Judah Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., retaining his WBA and WBC light welterweight titles against a game challenger in front of his hometown fans.

Prior to the fight, the winner of Saturday night's clash was set to face the winner of the Lamont Peterson-Lucas Matthysse bout scheduled for May 18.

During the Showtime telecast, Garcia was asked who he thought would win the Peterson-Matthysse clash, and he answered Peterson (per Bill Phanco of Eastside Boxing).

Perhaps that was wishful thinking, or maybe Garcia actually believes the gutsy fighter from Washington, D.C. will pull out the win.

In either case, the Peterson-Matthysse matchup should be exciting. Both fighters are usually entertaining and would present different challenges for Garcia.

Matthysse's Power Strikes Fear in the Hearts of Men

Matthysse is one of the sport's best punchers. He's 33-2 with an impressive 31 knockouts to his credit, and has the look of a fighter that no champion would be thrilled to face.

He isn't a household name, so the payday may not be great, but the risk is high because he's a quality fighter with one-hitter quitter power.

Garcia has a great chin. That was on display against Judah on Saturday night. But Matthysse's power is still intimidating.

Coincidentally, Judah handed Matthysse one of his two defeats. But it was a close and mildly-controversial split decision in 2010. Matthysse has improved since then and is fighting with more confidence.

Take a listen to Judah comparing the punching power of Matthysse and Garcia in this post-fight press conference.

I respect Garcia's cerebral approach, his toughness and the power in his left hand, but he isn't the most mobile fighter.

And the fighters that give Matthysse the most issues are movers. Devon Alexander scored the only other win over Matthysse, and he's an elusive boxer.

Garcia's flat-footed style is not a good match for Matthysse's powerful punches; I'd pick the 30-year-old Argentine in that fight.

Peterson's Pressure and Resolve

A bout with Peterson won't be a cakewalk for Garcia, but he does match up better with him than he does Matthysse.

With a record of 30-1-1 and 16 KO, Peterson's resume is impressive. He has good but not great power. His best attributes are his heart and the constant pressure he puts on his opponents, and he rarely takes a step backwards. 

The 29-year-old goes to the body well and his style can drain an opponent. While Garcia would have his difficulty solving him, he is abundantly more skilled.

Peterson's best wins came over Kendall Holt and Amir Khan, two fighters with questionable chins. He stopped Holt in the eighth round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYiY7frwh34

Though he won a controversial split decision over Khan, the latter didn't know how to handle Peterson's pressure.

Garcia has the chin to absorb the shots that may slip through, and Peterson doesn't possess the natural athleticism or refinement to expose Garcia's weaknesses.

It would be an exciting and close fight, but Garcia should be the favorite.

Beyond Fighting the Peterson-Matthysse Winner

There are so many solid 140-pound fighters in the world. Taking on Brandon Rios, Mike Alvarado, Terence Crawford, Khabib Allakhverdiev or fighting a rematch with Amir Khan or Zab Judah would be bouts that carry intrigue.

Garcia should have no problem finding opponents for the next two or three years.

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Follow @BrianMazique

Timothy Bradley (30-0, 12 KOs) is scheduled to fight in roughly five months, but it won't be against Manny Pacquiao.

According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, Desert Storm will defend his welterweight title against Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KOs) in either September or October of this year.

Arum told me Bradley-Marquez terms are now agreed to on both sides. Contracts out to both for 9/14 OR in October if Floyd goes 9/14. #boxing

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) April 24, 2013

For now, Mayweather is scheduled to fight Robert Guerrero on May 4, but according to Rafael, Mayweather wants to return on Sept. 14, which could push the Bradley-Marquez fight to October.

If there's one main accomplishment that both fighters share it's that Bradley and Marquez each have a win over Pacquiao in the past year.

Bradley's controversial victory came in June 2012 on a split-decision victory that gave Pac Man his first loss in seven years, while JMM beat Pacquiao in his most recent fight—a sixth-round knockout on Dec. 8, 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzvggTg9Cx0

Bradley is already thought of as one of the better fighters in the boxing realm, but a win over Marquez would solidify him as a top contender.

Think about it.

Bradley already has a win over Pacquiao on his resume, and with a win over Marquez, Desert Storm would have just beaten the fighter who knocked out Pac Man—commonly known as one of the best boxers of this era—making him an instant star.

It's true that Pacquiao is in the decline of his career—both Bradley and JMM could have opted to fight Pacquiao but instead chose to fight each other—but Pac Man was still considered one of the best in the game when Bradley took him down.

After earning the welterweight title after that controversial win over Pacquiao, the 29-year-old Bradley successfully defended his title against Ruslan Provodnikov on March 16, 2013 and enters the JMM fight having never lost a bout. 

A win for Bradley over Dinamita would add another quality victory to his resume and bolster his standing as a star in the boxing world. 

Move over, Manny. Here comes Timmy.

Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer

I will start this article by answering the question posed in the title immediately—with no equivocation: Yes, Lucas Matthysse had done enough to earn a shot at Danny Garcia in 2013.

Most people who follow the sport, with any degree of seriousness, are well aware of this fact. Matthysse deserves a title shot, and oh, boy, do fans want to see him get it. He is the most exciting and dangerous type of fighter—a brawer who can box.

He has a record of 33-2 with 31 KOs. His two losses both came by way of controversial split decisions, to Zab Judah and to Devon Alexander, so a lot of fans still regard him as undefeated. The hard punching Argentiniand even recorded knockdowns in both of those official losses.

So yeah, Matthysse deserves a shot at Garcia. He deserves it more than any other fighter in the division. If Garcia-Matthysse was scheduled for this month or next, it would be one of the most highly anticipated fights of the spring. 

Matthysse first came to widespread attention in the states when he fought Judah in November 2010. I re-watched the fight on YouTube, and it was a little bit of a surprise to remember the degree to which Matthysse was viewed as no more than an opponent for Judah coming into that one. 

The entire narrative being pitched by the HBO team during that fight was about the career rebirth of Judah. Jim Lampley spoke twice in the early part of the broadcast about unidentified "but knowledgeable" boxing people who had all predicted Judah to thoroughly outclass the rough-edged Matthysse and put him away in the middle rounds.

Instead, Matthysse forced an ultimately more compelling counter-narrative: the arrival on the U.S. scene of yet another star from Argentina. 

Matthysse seemed to grow increasingly confident as the Judah fight progressed, controlling the action down the stretch and dropping Judah in the 10th. Judah escaped with a split decision that many observers felt he didn't deserve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmdXl3-Lyik

Just over half-a-year later, Matthysse dropped another split decision, this time to Devon Alexander, in November 2011. To most observers, Matthysse clearly won this fight, not just dropping Alexander in the fourth, but thoroughly outworking him all night long and beating him up in the late rounds.

The decision was so horrible, it was even booed by a large percentage of Alexander's own hometown fans in St. Louis.

Matthysse has won five straight fights since, all by stoppage. The highlight was his 10th-round TKO of previously unbeaten Ajose Olusegun last September, which earned him the interim WBC light welterweight belt.

So Matthysse is more than deserving of a shot at Garcia. And as the interim WBC champion, he is already the mandatory No. 1 contender for that portion of Garcia's own crown.

But instead, Garcia is set to face Judah, on April 27, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed when this fight was announced.

While I am not in the camp that views Judah's decision victory over Matthysse in 2010 as a serious injustice, I don't see how anybody can deny that Matthysse has emerged since as the more worthy contender.

I just don't see what Garcia gets out of the Judah fight—beyond a big payday in Brooklyn. Judah was already handled with ease by Amir Khan—the man Garcia TKO'd to win the WBA and Ring portions of his title.

Then again, it's called professional prize fighting for a reason. The size of the payday is never irrelevant.

The great thing about the 140-pound division is that it is loaded with talent, and ultimately, nobody has to sit around waiting for anybody else. So as Garcia detours into Brooklyn this spring, Matthysse will push ahead and face IBF belt holder Lamont Peterson in May.

The IBF allowed Peterson to retain their version of the title even after he tested positive for PEDs and was stripped by the WBA. Peterson had collected both belts in December 2011, when he won yet another controversial split decision over Khan in front of his hometown crowd in Washington.

Peterson's failed drug test forced the cancelation of his rematch with Khan last July. Instead, WBC champion Garcia was brought in to face Khan. Garcia made the most of it, dropping Khan to the canvas in the third and finishing him off in Round 4.

And so now, it is Garcia sitting at the top of the always thrilling 140-pound division. It will be the upset of the year if he loses to Judah this month. Most likely, Garcia will take care of business with relative ease.

After that, fans are going to expect him to fight somebody who represents a substantial challenge.

I am hoping he doesn't initially fight a rematch with mir Khan instead. Don't get me wrong, Khan will, no doubt, deserve a rematch at some point. He remains among the most gifted boxers in the sport and will likely win enough fights in a row to justify another title shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-Pd1OpjQs

But my opinion is that Garcia beats Khan at least seven times out of 10. It is true, Khan won the first two rounds going away in their first fight. But if you watch that fight in retrospect, you really can see Garcia studying and absorbing and setting up for the big counter.

Khan looks flashy and quick and scores with some impressive combinations, while Garcia stays patient and keeps probing with attacks from a variety of angles and levels. I just can't see Garcia beeing unable to do that again and again against Khan.

And I don't see Khan ever having the chin to stand up to Garcia when Garcia finally tags him.

Meanwhile, Matthysse and Peterson should be a more competitive affair. My bet is, we're going to see yet another candidate for Fight of the Year. Peterson will not hesitate to climb into the trenches with Matthysse and make things into a dog fight.

Based merely on resume, I currently rate Peterson slightly ahead of Matthysse. However, my personal opinion is that the Argentinian will win in May. I am predicting that he is going to win and that he will look fantastic doing it.

Afterward, the demand for a showdown between Garcia and Matthysse should be overwhelming. It should be the fight that Garcia will have to make. And it should be the fight that he will want to make.