De La Hoya Wants Garcia vs. Peterson in Atlantic City

by David P. Greisman

Ideally a fight between junior-welterweight champion Danny Garcia and 140-pound titleholder Lamont Peterson would end up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, says Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, which works with both Garcia and Peterson.

“It’s not official yet, we’re just talking, but it’s a fight that I really, really want because the fans are asking for it,” De La Hoya said at the post-fight press conference for Sergey Kovalev’s win over Bernard Hopkins. “Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson. I would love that fight to be here. That’s one fight that deserves to be here.”

Garcia is from just up the expressway in Philadelphia, but he hasn’t fought there since his 2010 win over Mike Arnaoutis. Three of his last five bouts have been at Barclays Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Peterson is from Washington, D.C., which is about three hours away. Three of Peterson’s last five bouts were in D.C., with his loss to Lucas Matthysse last year taking place in Atlantic City and his most recent bout being held at Barclays Center.

Garcia, whose two world titles include the World Boxing Council belt, owed a defense to mandatory challenger Viktor Postol, but Postol accepted a payment to defer his shot. It remains to be seen if that will bring Garcia-Peterson instead. They appeared in separate fights on the same Barclays Center card on Showtime in August, ostensibly to set up a match against each other.

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