After only fighting twice since October 2015, D.C. native Lamont Peterson selected a tough opponent for his return into the squared circle.
Unfortunately for Peterson, undefeated welterweight champion Errol Spence proved too tall an order on Jan. 20 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Spence dominated from the start, and forced Peterson’s trainer to throw in the towel just before the bout’s eighth round.
Errol Spence Jr., left, punches Lamont Peterson during the third round of an IBF welterweight championship boxing match Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in New York. Spence won in the eighth round. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Spence (23-0, 20 KO) was coming off a lengthy break himself after an impressive victory over Kell Brooks in Sheffield, England to win the title last May. Spence, already regarded as one of the best fighters on the planet, did not seem fazed at all by his inactivity and was sharp in all phases. The crowd of 12,107 witnessed what could be the start of a great run at the top of the welterweight division for Spence.
Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KO), a highly-regarded former two-division world titleholder, was no match for the Spence freight train, which many believe will someday cruise to the top of the pound-for-pound list. Spence’s jab kept Peterson at bay, and he started to land some serious body shots in the second round that would eventually take a toll on the soon-to-be 34-year-old Peterson.
Spence, 27, continued to lay leather on Peterson in the fourth round and had him reeling a bit from a left hand to the head. Spence was in total control, and it was only a matter of time until he knocked Peterson down in the fifth round. After that, only Peterson’s sheer grit and determination kept him in the fight, until it was eventually stopped before the eighth round.
Peterson’s younger brother, Anthony, 32, also fought at the Barclays last night in a super lightweight undercard bout. Anthony beat Luis Eduardo Florez by unanimous decision, advancing his career boxing record to 38-1.
