By Jake Donovan
Apparently, Sergey Lipinets believes he’ll have plenty of time to rest once he’s retired.
The former 140-pound titlist is already back at work, barely a week after his thrilling 10th round knockout win over Lamont Peterson. Their FS1-televised main event was hailed by many outlets observers as the leading Fight of the Year candidate, with Lipinets surging ahead in the second half of the contest to drop and stop the former two-division titlist.
The brutal punishment absorbed in the fight prompted Peterson—who’d been stopped in eight rounds by unbeaten welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. last January to call it a career after 15 years.
Apparently, the damage was only one-way.
“I’m back in the gym and getting ready for my next fight,” Lipinets (15-1, 11KOs) informed BoxingScene.com. “I want to take on all of the best welterweights. Whoever my manager Alex Vaysfeld and my adviser Al Haymon can get in the ring, I will be ready.”
At the very least, Lipinets won’t be caught off guard. His next fight date isn’t scheduled until September 8, with neither the opponent, venue nor platform yet established.
Still, the insistence in already returning to work only underlines the dedication to his craft.
“Sergey’s win over Lamont Peterson was his first fight working with Joe Goossen, the excellent trainer,” Vaysfeld noted to BoxingScene.com. “He’s anxious to continue working with Joe. As they become more familiar with each other, it will only make Sergey even better in the ring.”
A variety of opponents are under consideration for Lipinets’ next assignment, although a title opportunity might not quite be in the cards.
All of the major titlists under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner—Spence, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and (secondary tilist) Manny Pacquiao—have all fought in the first quarter of 2019 and are eyeing their next respective fights this year. There remains heavy chatter, however, of the quartet being mixed and matched, although such bouts haven’t evolved past casual discussion.
Outside of PBC-verse, unbeaten Terence Crawford—who fights under the Top Rank/ESPN umbrella—prepares for an April 20 showdown versus Amir Khan. Assuming he prevails, the three-division titlist and reigning pound-for-pound king will be in a familiar place—short on notable opponents waiting in the wings.
It’s unlikely that he looks Lipinets’ way, however. The two have history, strangely from their never meeting in the ring. Crawford vacated a 140-pound title in lieu of honoring a mandatory title defense versus Lipinets, moving up to welterweight shortly thereafter.
Lipinets claimed the vacant title, only to lose it in his first defense in a 12-round decision to Mikey Garcia last March. The lone defeat of his career has been followed by two straight wins, including his thriller over Peterson in late March—and eager for his next assignment.
“There are several names being mentioned,” Vaysfeld cryptically revealed, not wanting to mention anyone specific as talks are ongoing to secure his next opponent. “But the fact that Sergey is already back in camp, after a war like that and not even knowing—or caring—who he’s fighting next shows just how serious he is about taking over the welterweight division.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox