“This is a fight that I wished would never happen because I hate to have to have a little insight on it. I think Lamont is more than a tune-up. I think Lamont, at 147, his body is good there. He don’t have to kill himself to make weight. I think he’s going to offer Errol a little more than what a lot of people think...Lamont is the better boxer and Errol is the stronger guy...if Lamont can land his right hand early or if Errol can get his left hand going early, that may determine how the fight may go,” stated Hall of Famer Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, who gave his detailed analysis of the upcoming welterweight clash between champion Errol Spence Jr. and former champion Lamont Peterson. Check it out!
PC: You are a fan of Errol Spence Jr. and you are a fan of Lamont Peterson, who is from your area. On January 20th, they clash. Can Lamont present some problems for Spence?
MJ: Let me say this, first of all, I have a lot of respect for both of those guys and I have a lot of respect for both of those guys' trainers. I’m very cool with both camps. This is a fight that I wished would never happen because I hate to have to have a little insight on it. I think Lamont is more than a tune-up. I think Lamont, at 147, his body is good there. He don’t have to kill himself to make weight. I think he’s going to offer Errol a little more than what a lot of people think. As you know, Lamont goes out on his shield. Lamont don’t go out without a fight. He’s not the kind of fighter that’s going to look for a way out or take an easy loss. Lamont is in every fight that he’s in and he’s had better opposition than Errol. Lamont has more experience than the guys that Errol has been in with and he has more experience than any guy that Errol has fought. As we know, sometimes one fight can be too many fights.
PC: The eye test tells us Errol Spence Jr. is the real deal. Although he doesn’t have the resume yet that some of the other welterweights have, is he one of those situations where you just trust your eyes and what’s to come from him?
MJ: I think it depends on how the fight ends with Lamont Peterson. That will let you know if greatness is on the way. Everything is on both guys. This fight determines if Errol is going to go on and be great or is Lamont going to be the guy to derail that train and show he has another run in him. This is a tough fight for both fighters and both camps. I know for a fact that both guys will be ready. I do know for a fact that Lamont Peterson is never going to come in and give you less than 100%.
PC: You mentioned the trainers. I think Derrick James and Barry Hunter are outstanding trainers. Will their imprint be on this fight or do you think this will come down to what’s inside of these fighters?
MJ: This fight, to me, it solely going to come down to how the game plan has been set for both guys. When you get to this point, will Barry Hunter have to pull out his experience in the world-title fights that Lamont has had or will Derrick James show that he’s the “Trainer of the Year,” like many of us think?
PC: What do you feel will separate them on fight night?
MJ: A lot of the things that I see from Errol…Errol is a guy that’s going to come forward as a southpaw and Lamont does have a good right hand. They say that’s the punch that works against southpaws; right hand, left hook. I actually think Lamont has more boxing skills as far as a boxer who could use the ring, duck in and duck out. I think Lamont is the better boxer and Errol is the stronger guy. I think he’s going to apply a lot of pressure on Lamont, so who knows, if Lamont can land his right hand early or if Errol can get his left hand going early, that may determine how the fight may go.
PC: We are in an era where inactivity is just part of the game. Both of these guys are coming off of layoffs. Do you think the layoff helps the younger guy in Spence or the guy known for coming in dog-shape in Peterson?
MJ: I think I’ll go with Lamont. Lamont has been in a lot of tough fights, world-title fights, and sometimes older guys want their bodies to heal. This layoff has given his body a chance to rest, so I think it may be better for Lamont. I’m sure Errol has been antsy and probably training for a long time.
PC: Can you pick a winner or is this one you would rather stay away from?
MJ: I can’t pick because I love both guys and both camps. I just want a great fight. If Lamont wins, he gets a chance for a big fight and if Errol wins, I know he will go on to have greatness. I’m just looking forward to a great fight. I’ll be there.
PC: There are some that feel Shawn Porter and his camp avoided Spence; there are some that feel Keith Thurman is making excuses not to fight him. Lamont Peterson always seem to be the guy that will step up to fight guys that no one else wants to fight; win, lose or draw.
MJ: But, that’s one thing that you can say about Barry and Lamont; those guys aren’t ducking no competition. If you call them up, they are ready to go. That’s one of the reasons why Lamont is the dog in this fight and in the 147-pound division. People will turn people down and Lamont and Barry say, “We right here!” Lamont was fighting guys early on like Victor Ortiz, Timothy Bradley, and guys like Danny Garcia. The list goes on and on. One of the fights that I didn’t like was when he fought Lucas Matthysse. I had commentated one of Matthysse’s fights one fight before that one. But, Barry knows that you can say this is one guy from Washington, D.C. other than Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson that ducks nobody.
PC: Spence-Peterson is a hell of a way to kick off the year. What fight are you looking forward to in 2018 that’s either made or hopefully going to get made?
MJ: I’m looking at the Wilder-Joshua fight. I’m looking at guys like Terence Crawford, who are trying to become that superstar that I know he can be. He has some promotional things and managerial things that may be standing in the way of that. I want to see Lomachenko in great fights in 2018. I want to see him fight anybody at 135 that’s a champion. I’m just really looking at some young guys who are going to make a lot of noise this year. I’m focused on these young guys and I will really watch them because I think they are going to bust out in 2018. I think it’s going to be out with the old and in with the new in 2018.
PC: Can Guillermo Rigondeaux be rebuilt or do you think the manner in which the fight ended, it was a career killer?
MJ: First of all, anybody that moves up 2 weight classes is going to be in for a run for his money no matter who you are. And he moved up to fight a pound-for-pound top 3 in boxing guy. To beat a guy like that, you’re taking on a hard task. I think you have to bring him back with a top-notch guy at 122 or 126, then maybe he can get back on the networks. But it has to be a champion or a guy that they are building.
PC: Before I let you go, we had a lot of fighters that retired this year; too many to name. In your opinion, is that a testament of what you are saying, out with the old and in with the new for next year?
MJ: Of course! I think there are a lot of guys that’s been around for a while, they were a great champion, they have been guys that’s got off the canvas and got back up, had big fights, the swollen eyes and the blood leaking down their face, and they are to the point where they know it’s time to retire. Maybe some of them will train or manage or just ride off into the sunset with your kids and your family and make sure that you’re still in one piece. That’s the main focus. The main focus is not to fight until you can’t talk or you can’t walk; the main focus is to be able to fight and be able to dictate and take care of your family and go off into the sunset and be able to enjoy the rest of your life.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]