The opponents for the undefeated Peterson Brothers's nationally televised appearance on Showtime's ShoBox card on Friday, January 4 at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Biloxi, MS and they look to be tough ones.
Anthony Peterson (25-0, 18 KO's) will defend his NABO Lightweight title against Guadalupe Rosales of Mexico (25-2, 15 KO's). Peterson is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Oscar Leon on November 17 on the Caribbean island of Turks and Caicos. Rosales will look to bounce back after losing a 10-round unanimous decision to Francisco Lorenzo on November 9 in the Bronx, NY.
Rosales may be a familiar name to long-time Beltway Boxing fans because he has fought in the area three times during his career. Rosales won a four-round unanimous decision over Ernest Staten on November 15, 2001 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Rosales then stopped Sean Lockhart in the second round at DC Tunnel in DC on April 12, 2002. A month later (May 9, 2002) back in Glen Burnie, Rosales suffered his first pro loss, dropping an eight-round split decision to James Baker.
Lamont Peterson (23-0, 11 KO's) puts his NABO Junior Welterweight title on the line against undefeated Brazilian native Antonio Mesquita (34-0, 26 KO's) Peterson, named the ESPN Prospect of the Year for 2007 (the same award Anthony Peterson received the previous year), is coming off a second-round TKO over Humberto Toledo on the November 17 Turks and Caicos card. Mesquita, who now fights out of Las Vegas, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Joshua Smith on August 4 in Tulsa, OK.
Digital, the opponents' records are good, but have they been padded, or have Rosales and Mesquita faced good competition? Regardless, this should be a good test (BTW, when do you think the Petersons will get a shot at one of the titles of the Big 4?).
ReplyDeleteRosales and Mesquita have records built on the same lines as Thomas KO Snow. Don't Blink! And do not dare get up to use the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteAntonio Mesquita has fought not one person with a winning record.
ReplyDeleteHe took 2005 completely off due to a drug problem. Even in his 25th to 30th bout he was fighting guys with 2-12 record. Peterson will stop this guy in the very first round. Look at the guys record on Boxrec.com. Boxing sure aint like it used to be. I was 9 years old in the 50's and all the fights were tough. None of this bullshit we have today. And now you guys wonder why this MMA shit is taking over. I'd rather watch HayStack Cow Hoon VS Andre THe Giant anyday.
Now I don't want to make BRB feel bad but....
ReplyDeleteLets take a look at these two opponents:
Guadalupe Rosales - at 2-0, Rosales got tossed in with a red-hot Lou Duva prospect - Jose Reyes (6-0). I was there and saw Rosales in a barn burner of a fight drop Reyes and win a decision. It was a shocker and from that moment on everyone who knew anything about the sport knew that Rosales could fight. I put him on at the Ballroom, in Philly , at the DC Tunnel against middling opponents then back at the Ballroom against the then 11-2 James Baker. Baker was always a very good fighter; good amateur career, tall and long armed and he could crack. Baker handed Rosales a split decision loss in what I consider to be the worst example of home cooking that I have ever experienced in the tri state area. Rosales knocked Baker down five times and all but one was called a slip. It was outrageous, and it had a devastating effect on the kid who fought once more here then went home to Mexico. Now I did not see him in his Mexico fights but I followed him and at a certain point when he was maybe 20-1, his name surfaced again and I tried to sign him with Gary Shaw. Gary saw some tape on the kid, called the WBC and soon Rosales was in the top ten. Rosales' style is to march right in and throw. He has a chin of iron and huge heart. He did not sign with Shaw, but soon signed with Top Rank and he fought twice on Telefutura network, winning the first fight against Marcos Licona (24-9) and then lost to Francisco Loenzo (29-40 both ten round decisions. So to say that this guy is not a quality opponent at 25-2 is dead wrong.
Antonio Mesquita (34-0) has fought most of his recent fights at 147. His best win is against Santos Pakau who was 27-2 when they fought and Mesquita knocked him out in the 5th round of a very close fight that was on ESPN. He has only fought two other times in the US against modest opposition. His other fights were all in Brazil and he sports 26 of his 34 wins by knockout. This guy is a naturally bigger guy than Lamont and will be coming down to fight Lamont at 142. Lamont always fights between 139 and 141 so he will be coming up to Mesquitas weight.
Gordon Hall who runs ShoBox demands that a certain level of fighter be on his shows. That is why the ShoBox series has become since its inception three years ago the place where young up and coming stars are tested. These may be the last fights for Lamont and Anthony before they take the step to fighting for world championships. The level of competition had to be tough otherwise these fights would be a waste of time instead of fights that hopefully will be fights that they learn from and win and help them towards their goal.
My suggestion to brb before you criticize the choice of opponents again is to maybe take a closer look before you rush to a judgment that is dead wrong.
Amen Chris. I saw the Baker/Rosales fight and, while it was very close, I was surprised Baker won. At worst, it should have been a draw. Never seen Mesquita, but looks like he beats everyone they put in front of him handily.
ReplyDeleteBo
Please excuse me Gary, but I am very surprised by the responses to the blog about the Petersons fight and in particular the vitriol that pours out about their opponents. Anthony is number 1 in the WBO, his next fight if he wins in January will be against Michael Katsidis for the WBO title. Lamont just got moved to number 3 in the WBO and he is clearly just a fight or two away from fighting for a world title. Their opponents are legitimate guys with records of 25-2 and 34-0, what do these people want. It sounds to me like they just want to see them get beat and that is sad. People who read this blog should be excited for these young men and the success that they are earning for themselves. And it is certainly not like some kids who are brought along and pampered every step of the way. These young men have trained and fought and trained and fought beginning with short money that has very slowly grown and have developed into very high quality prospects. So how about sitting back, watching and enjoying what these men have accomplished and rooting them on January 4th rather than putting them down for the quality of man that they climb through the ropes to fight.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris these guy's are the real deal and they deserve everything they have. I enjoy watching these young lions and look forward to them winning many world titles.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly, I don't understand it either, Chris. Like you, I was at the Baker-Rosales fight and didn't understand that decision either. Rosales has always been a tough guy and I've heard the same about Mesquita.
ReplyDeleteWith negotiations for Katsidis and Juan Diaz falling through, Anthony's bout is even more important now. Lamont, as Chris has said, is very close as well.
What a way to start 2008!
The guy did not say Petersons were no good at boxing. He said they would knock the oppenents out early. By the way Chris> BRB
ReplyDeleteis a saying-not a person.
BRB stands for Be Right Back.
Ask your kids-they will explain...
You know it!!!
ReplyDeleteJuice Beta Max Tapes-$45.00
ReplyDeleteDVD $27.50 for 1 fight
VCR $25.00 You must bring blank tape.
you guys need some serious help.
ReplyDeleteChris, is that fight w/ Katsidis a sure thing if Peterson wins? It'd be great to have a Beltway guy as a big 4 champ!
ReplyDeletebig G, no word on the silvergloves champs thats going to G/A to represnt us? no they"re the future beltway stars... waiting on that post big G!!
ReplyDeleteSilver Gloves went well for local gyms.
ReplyDeleteSugar Ray Leonards 8 boxers won
Lime Lite 1 boxer won
Nomis 2 boxer won
Team Dream 2 boxers won
Old School 4 boxers won
Head Bangers 3 boxers won
Hillcrest 4 boxers won
Keely's 0 boxers won
Round 1 0 boxers won
Keystone 0 boxers won
Laurel 2 boxers won
Books N Boxing 3 boxers won
House of Champions 0 boxers won
Benning Rd. 0 boxers won
Langden Park 0 boxers won
Kentland 0 boxers won
Looks like Sugar Rays is back on top of it all. Reminds me of the good all dayz.
Why would a guy who is compulsive about protecting his fighters to a fault take a fight for short money ($16,000) with a young and gifted fighter like Lamont Peterson, a fighter who everyone is hailing as a future champ? I will tell you why, because he believes that his fighter has a real shot. Why else?
ReplyDeleteMesquita is taking this fight for two reasons (1)he needs to step up like yesterday (he is 35 years old and has no respect in the sport), and more importantly,(2) his handlers believe that this is a fight he can win. Who better to step up against than a young fighter who is equally well protected and who has never been hit by a real puncher.
Note that while Mesquita has fought limited competition, he has knocked 27 of his 34 opponents out (almost 80%). Peterson equally has fought limited competition (compared to his skill level)but he has knocked out only 11 of 23 opponents (49%).
I can assure that if anyone is getting knocked out it will be Lamont Peterson. Should Peterson win, he will win on points ONLY. Take that from someone who has not matched one of his fighters in losing fight in over three years.
I do not take a fight unless I believe that my fighter has at the very worst a 50/50 risk of losing. My only fear is that Peterson's camp will realize that they have a tough fight in their hands and back out of the fight.
And, we'll see you at the fights.
Ed Mendy
(Edward Mendy is Mesquita's promoter. His fighters have some of the most padded records in boxing because he protects them very carefully (Troy Browning, 20-0, Tyrone Brunson, 18-0, Frederic Kassi, 12-0, etc).
Mr. Mendy:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. They are much appreciated. Best wishes to you and your boxer.
Anon: Again, I received NO word on the boxers who are going to the regional Silver Gloves, other than the ones from Sugar Ray Leonard Center. The amateur community knows how to contact me. They just haven't!
What a tremendous thread. Boxing Along The Beltway is getting downright cerebral. Chris Middendorf, showing an invigorating fire in the belly in a comprehensive breakdown of fresh Peterson Bros. opponents; Digital, officiating with a delicate touch; Mendy, offbeat guest star boosting his fighter and providing insight on his MO of matching to protect his guys. . . all this and Gloves results and wacky beer talk. Right on, people. -- J.S.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course you would hide behind anonimity to avoid consequences for your spurious comments about Ed Mendy's character.
ReplyDeleteDear Gary:
ReplyDeleteSeveral libelous statements have been posted on your website about me and I would appreciate it if you would pull each of them down. Normally, I would not even give scandalous and false comments from unscrupulous boxing people the benfit of a respond comment.
However, as your website ranks very high among search engines, the comments posted are causing concern to my law partners and clients.
While I have not hold you responsible for the opinions that visitors to your site post, you as a publisher are responsible for vetting the comments and pulling down those that are offensive and/or untrue.
Be advised that if these statements are not removed within 48 hours of this posting, I will hold you and your company responsible for publishing them and will take whatever action is necessary and proper to protect my good name.
For the record,
(1) I am a duly licensed attorney, and in several jurisdictions.
(2) I have never been charged with or arrested for any crime, let alone be convicted of a crime.
(3) I have never lived in England. Consequently, I do not know what this England business is all about.
(4) Boxing is a hobby for me, and as such I have conducted myself in the sport with the highest dignity and I have handled each and every one my fighters since I became involved in the business side of the sport in a manner that honors the sport. How else can one explain why fighters flock to me and stay with me in the face of all the diabolic smear campaigns that some of my competitors in Boxing have incessantly engaged in.
(5) I have never canceled a show willingly. Shows I have been involved with may have been cancelled but only if a determination is made by us that the public will be shortchanged, for example when a man event fighter become unavailable or fights fall out to the point there is not enough rounds to proceed without short-changing the public, or there are commission issues (legitimate or otherwise).
(6) I do not sign fighters unless they have real talent. I may protect a fighter and develop them slowly. That does not mean they are not championship material.
EDWARD B. MENDY, MANAGING PARTNER
MENDY & BEEKMAN, LLC
(Business and Attorneys since 1994)
Two Penn Center, Suite 200
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19102
Tel: (215) 854-4057 (866) 699-5427 Fax: (215) 701-9547
Mr. Mendy,
ReplyDeleteThe comments have been taken down as you requested.