Boxing’s rich 140-pound division has been in turmoil since Lamont Peterson tested positive for a banned substance, cancelling his much-anticipated rematch with Amir Khan of England.
The rematch was supposed to settle things after Peterson won a split decision and Khan’s WBA junior welterweight belt in his home town of Washington D.C. last December in a fight where Khan was deducted two points for pushing. But before they could reconvene in the ring, Peterson tested positive for testosterone.
Some measure of order should be restored tonight when Khan faces Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia on HBO from Las Vegas. The WBA and WBC 140-pound titles will be at stake in a fight that should prove competitive enough to erase the disappointment surrounding Peterson-Khan II.
“I will knock Danny Garcia out,” Khan (26-2, 18 KOs) said. “I will take the world titles home. I know Danny didn’t train as hard as me. I promise I will knock him out. That is the only way.”
Khan was reinstated as the WBA “super” champion this week by the sanctioning body based on medical confirmation of Peterson’s failed tests. Garcia (23-0, 14 KOs) will be making the first defense of the belt he won against Erik Morales last March in Houston. His father and trainer Angel Garcia has been doing most of the trash talking.
“Khan has never faced a Latino like Danny,” the elder Garcia said. “This is Latino blood; a nation. We are going to show the world who is the boss.”
The racial taunting has infuriated the Khan camp and motivated Danny Garcia.
“My dad talked [trash] 23 times and I backed it up 23 times,” Danny Garcia said. “Come [tonight] he will have talked [trash] 24 times and I am going to back it up for the 24th time.”
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Is Las Vegas big enough for two fights on the same night? Presumably we will find out on Sept. 15 when Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio Martinez fight for the middleweight championship at the Thomas & Mack Center, while Canelo Alvarez faces Josesito Lopez for the WBC 154-pound championship at the MGM Grand.
HBO pay-per-view will distribute Chavez-Martinez, and Showtime will televise Alvarez-Lopez. It’s clearly not an ideal situation.
Golden Boy Promotions had reserved the date at the MGM Grand and planned to match Alvarez against Paul Williams before Williams suffered an accident that left him paralyzed. While Alvarez searched for an opponent, Top Rank matched Chavez Jr. against Martinez at the Thomas & Mack.
The belittling of the competing card already has begun.
“This is like children putting on something to spite another child who is sitting at the table with a tasty treat,” said Top Rank boss Bob Arum. “Chavez-Martinez is by far and away the biggest fight of the year so far.”
Lopez, who was formally announced on Wednesday as Alvarez’s opponent, gets his shot after scoring an upset over Victor Ortiz on June 23. Alvarez had been scheduled to face Ortiz after Williams became unavailable. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer called Alvarez-Lopez “a special gift for Mexican and Mexican America fans who have supported the sport for so long.”
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That sounds good except for the most popular Mexican boxer of all-time will be at the Thomas & Mack watching his Mexican son defend his middleweight title.
Staten Island’s Marcus Browne, who will be part of the U.S. Boxing team at the upcoming Olympic Games in London, will be featured on the latest episode of “The Game 365,” which premieres Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on MSG. Host Fran Healy chats with the 21-year-old about his boxing career and what it took to reach the pinnacle of amateur boxing.