Patrick McDermott - Getty Images
Lamont Peterson has a big decision to make soon: Amir Khan or Juan Manuel Marquez? (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Lamont Peterson and manager/trainer Barry Hunter are weighing their options on whether to rematch Amir Khan next, or face Juan Manuel Marquez in Top Rank's mini-tournament, which could set up a lucrative bout later this year with Manny Pacquiao.
Richard Schaefer told RingTV.com on Saturday that they've offered Peterson a big deal for a rematch with Khan:
"We're working on some very good stuff. We did what we could to make it happen. We offered him $1.5 million and we offered him a 50-50 split of world wide revenues. If he doesn't want to do it, then he doesn't want to do it. You can't force them."
It would be, by far, a career-best payday for Peterson, who earned $650,000 and no 50-50 split of worldwide revenue (which would include Khan's lucrative UK TV contract with Sky Sports and other international TV).
But Peterson and Hunter have been reluctant to gravitate toward the rematch, in part because they refuse to be bullied by Golden Boy Promotions. Peterson is a modern boxing version of a lone wolf, a man without a promoter, though that may change if he goes the other route.
A fight with Marquez, says Bob Arum, has been agreed to on one side:
"I told Barry that we would talk again on Monday," said Arum. "But Marquez already has agreed to the fight."
Either way, it's looking like Peterson will make one of the two fights soon enough. Either could happen in April or May, and either fight would be very attractive to HBO. There is also an off-chance that Top Rank, should their side land Peterson to face Marquez, would actually give us a truly significant undercard fight on the Manny Pacquiao PPV coming on June 9. Wouldn't that be something?
0 recs | 13 comments
JMM baby!
cylee1180 - January 29, 2012
I think it would be a great fight
pakinpower - January 29, 2012
yesss.. but i think peterson is too big and strong combined with some decent skill… i think he ll be too much for marq. could marquez have hurt khan the way peterson did? i don’t think so…
cylee1180 - January 29, 2012
The time has come
to see what these young bloods have to bring
pakinpower - January 30, 2012
Willie Limond hurt Amir Khan, and Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Michael Katsidis. I’m gonna say Marquez could have hurt Khan.
Scott Christ - January 30, 2012
Peterson is an
Easy target for Marquez (& Manny). I think he should give Khan the rematch. It was too close and looks like a great payday. Or if he beats Marquez, he runs the risk of being overlooked when Mayweather gets out of jail.
honorablecbm - January 30, 2012 via iPhone app
If they lay out the contracts as they’re indicating they will, if he beats Marquez he’s in line to face the Pacquiao vs Bradley winner.
Scott Christ - January 30, 2012
peterson has great defense. he not gonna let jmm play matador like he did with manny. juan diaz and katsidis aren’t known for their defense either…
cylee1180 - January 30, 2012
i dont question jmm’s skill, but the size and weight differential combined with the fact that peterson is not a face first fighter loans itself to peterson beating him up…
cylee1180 - January 30, 2012
I think you overrate Peterson’s defense a little. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “great.” He can be a little reckless.
Scott Christ - January 30, 2012
I'd pick Peterson over JMM
He’l bully him too much
Sweet science - January 30, 2012
peterson marquez undercard on a manny ppv..sign me up
Vicmatic1 - January 30, 2012
I’m wondering if this would be the way they would end up going, as it would help sell a Pacquiao-Bradley PPV that otherwise might not sell well because of Bradley’s name value. On the other hand you could probably put Marquez-Peterson someplace where it could draw on its own. It’d be awesome if they packaged the fights together though, would make for a really quality PPV cofeature.
theninthlayer - January 30, 2012
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