Sources close to the information have informed us that a deal is close to being finalized for IBF jr. welterweight champion Lamont Peterson to defend his title against top contender Lucas Matthysse. The bout will take place in Atlantic City on May 18 as part of a Showtime doubleheader that will also feature IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander defending his title against mandatory challenger Kell Brook.
"We got in this game not to duck fighters, but to fight fighters, so if Lucas Matthysse is the next in line, and contractually it makes sense and financially it makes sense, then Lucas Matthysse it is," Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter, would tell FightHype's own Percy Crawford earlier this week. It appears that, both contractually and financially, the clash with Matthysse does indeed make sense for Team Peterson. We're told that both sides are essentially in agreement with the terms and it's simply a matter of dotting the i's and crossing the t's on the contracts.
Peterson vs. Matthysse and Alexander vs. Brook is an intriguing doubleheader. A lot is on the line for all four fighters as they hope to catapult themselves into even bigger matchups.
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