HOW HE DID IT: Underrated Technician Matthysse Not Just A Bomber

Published

11 years ago

May 21, 2013

Lee Wylie

Lucas Matthysse (now 34-2 with 1 no contest and 32 Kos) showed why he is arguably the number one junior welterweight in the world –and one of the most avoided men in boxing –with an impressive third round knockout of Lamont Peterson (now 31-2-1 with 16 Kos) in Atlantic City on Saturday night.

Peterson, who had never been stopped in any of his previous 33 fights, was dropped by a left hook in the second round and again in the third. After tasting the canvas once more from yet another left hook, referee Steve Smoger deemed Peterson unfit to continue and wisely called a halt to the action. This is now the sixth fight in a row in which Matthysse has managed to take his opponent out before the final bell.

Everyone and their mother knows that Lucas Matthysse is the owner of some extremely heavy hands, making him pound-for-pound one of the hardest hitters in all of boxing. In this analysis, however, I would like to focus more on Matthysse’s craft and ring acumen, which, I believe, are vastly underappreciated and can be attributed toward many of his knockouts.

It was obvious from the opening bell that Peterson’s game plan was based on controlling and maintaining distance and preventing Matthysse from getting set to hit. For Peterson to have had any kind of success then, he would have had to rely heavily on the jab (boxing’s number one distance regulator) along with lateral movement so that Matthysse would have to keep realigning himself in order to punch effectively and with maximum power. It soon became apparent that neither Peterson’s jab nor any lateral movement were going to be enough to thwart Matthysse’s forward momentum.

Not only did Matthysse successfully block off Peterson’s escape routes via some intelligent footwork and pressure, he also neutralized Peterson’s jab.

It is very important for a fighter to have a varied attack. However, it is equally important that a fighter also has more than one way of defending an attack. Just as a fighter will soon recognize an offensive pattern should an opponent repeat the same technique over and over, a fighter will also be quick to spot and take advantage of an opponent who defends an attack the same way every time. Because Matthysse changed up his defenses for Peterson’s jab throughout the fight, Peterson was unable to time him or lure him into any kind of a trap.

Rear hand parry

Instead of just simply covering up, a skill that all fighters should utilize more often is the rear hand parry to catch and deflect an incoming jab. When attempting to parry the jab, the hand that is on the outside of the attack (elbow side of an opponent’s punch) should redirect the blow either across an opponent’s body, up and over, or down and to the side. Unless a fighter is going up against an opponent who is in an opposite lead to their own, it is not advisable to parry an incoming jab with the lead hand as doing so will leave the lead side exposed for an opponent’s more threatening rear hand. Parrying the jab with the rear hand disturbs an opponent’s rhythm, making it more difficult for them to complete or launch a follow up attack and also creates counterpunching opportunities, particularly for the lead hand (catch and jab).

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Here is Matthysse performing a rear hand parry, catching and redirecting Peterson’s jab at different stages during the fight.

Outside Slip

The outside slip is probably the safest and most efficient way of avoiding the jab. Whereas the rear hand parry often only leaves the lead hand free to counter with (one can also counter immediately after a rear hand parry with the same hand but it is often more difficult to pull off) slipping to the outside of the jab (elbow side) isolates both of an opponent’s weapons (lead and rear hand) while leaving both hands free to counter with.

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Here is Matthysse evading Peterson’s jab by slipping to the outside. In this position, Matthysse has isolated both of Peterson’s weapons (lead and rear hand) leaving both hands free to counter with.

Inside slip

The inside slip is performed much in the same way as the outside slip, only the head is taken to the inside of an opponent’s jab instead of to the outside. Even though both hands remain free to counter in this position as well, the outside slip is preferred and is a much safer option. Still, Matthysse had a lot success by slipping inside of Peterson’s jab.

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Here is Matthysse slipping inside of Peterson’s jab at numerous stages during the fight. For safety reasons, it is better to slip to the outside of a jab, as opposed to the inside. When you slip to the outside, you are basically isolating both of your opponent’s weapons (lead and rear hand). Slipping inside of the jab, however, is considered more dangerous because only the jabbing hand has been isolated and the danger of an opponent’s rear hand is still present. Matthysse got away with slipping inside of Peterson’s jab simply because Peterson was always preoccupied with the threat of Matthysse’s left hook. Despite the fact that Matthysse would often take his head off line and place it in line with Peterson’s right hand, the threat alone of Matthysse’s left hand kept Peterson’s right hand in check.

Defense is taken to a new level entirely when a fighter begins using it offensively. After pretty much eliminating Peterson’s jab with the rear hand parry, the outside slip and the inside slip, Matthysse began simultaneously slipping and countering off of Peterson’s jab.

For a right handed fighter, the body alignment involved in slipping inside the jab is very similar to the starting motions of a right cross. Therefore, slipping inside the jab and throwing the right cross (to the head or body) is a safe and effective counter.

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Here is Matthysse simultaneously slipping inside of Peterson’s jab and landing a right hand underneath. See how the inside slip places Matthysse in a relatively safe position from which to deliver the right hand. Notice also how Matthysse’s head has been taken off line as he’s throwing his right hand. Slipping left while throwing a right cross is an intelligent pre-emptive counter to lead off with.

Here is another example of Matthysse combining defense and offense simultaneously.

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Here, Matthysse lands a cross counter over the top of Peterson’s jab. Because most fighters aim there punches directly toward an opponent’s center, by taking his head off line and to his left, Matthysse lands his right hand (this punch initiated the first knockdown sequence) while Peterson’s jab misses and ends up somewhere near Matthysse’s right shoulder.

The set up

There’s no denying that Lucas Matthysse is one of the biggest punchers in the sport right now. Even glancing blows seem to put his opponents on Queer Street. However, all the knockout power in the world will amount to nothing unless a fighter can set an opponent up and disguise his real intentions. (Nonito Donaire found this out the hard way against Guillermo Rigondeaux very recently). In boxing, basic punches will not land with any regularity unless a fighter can do something which makes an opponent open up (feinting, drawing, pivoting to gain a dominant angle etc.). For me, this is one of the most overlooked aspects of Lucas Matthysse’s game. Matthysse is brilliant at maneuvering his opponents into such a position –using low contact punches, feints and footwork—so to create an opening for a more telling blow.

Here is Matthysse manipulating Peterson’s guard and defenses by throwing not one, not two, but THREE (double jab, straight right) punches in an attempt to create an opening for his left hook.

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Here is Matthysse throwing three “minor” punches in order to set up one “major” blow. As Matthysse shuffles forward after cutting off the ring, forcing Peterson to the ropes, he throws two blinding jabs (jab feints) to occupy Peterson. While the first jab is thrown short (as a distraction) the second one is thrown much deeper, allowing Matthysse to move in behind it and bridge the gap. From there, with Peterson’s guard slightly raised because of the double jab, Matthysse throws a straight right hand to Peterson’s stomach. This does two things;

It positions Matthysse at a more favorable angle to come back with a left hook (spring-loaded his left).

It forces Peterson to adjust his guard slightly to compensate for the body attack.

With Peterson hunching over slightly in anticipation of another possible body attack, Matthysse lands a left hook high on Peterson’s head, sending him to the canvas. Peterson never fully recovered from this attack.

Barely seconds into third round, there was more punching intellect from Matthysse.

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During this sequence, Matthysse first slips inside of Peterson’s jab. As Peterson ducks low in response, Matthysse forces him onto his back foot with a blinding jab. With Peterson backpedalling, Matthysse feints a right hand, which draws Peterson’s lead hand away from his guard, and comes back with a hard left. Again, Matthysse is thinking two and three punches ahead in there.

With Peterson wobbled again, we didn’t have to wait too long before the end arrived.

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As both men find themselves slightly out of position, Matthysse is the first to adjust his feet and manages to connect with a compact left hook to the chin, all but ending the fight for Peterson. Although Peterson made it to his feet, his legs were gone and he soon he hit the canvas for a final time after yet another left hook.

At this juncture, I’m hard pushed to think of anyone at 140 pounds that I would favor over Matthysse. Amir Khan certainly has the speed and footwork that may keep Matthysse turning and prevent him from getting set to hit, but ultimately, Khan’s defensive frailties are bound to rear their ugly head at some stage, meaning he would more than likely succumb to Matthysse’s unforgiving power punching. Danny Garcia is a smart counterpuncher with good timing who could possibly hurt Matthysse should he get to him first, but looking at how Zab Judah was able to withstand Garcia’s best and then hurt Garcia himself late in the fight, I have a hard time seeing Garcia coming out on top during any kind of exchange with Matthysse. As I’ve already stated, not only does Matthysse have underrated defense (slipping, parrying etc.), he also has a world class chin –Peterson landed a couple of uppercuts as he was moving inside that would have wobbled many a Jr. welterweight. Matthysse never so much as blinked.

All things considered, it was quite the eye opening performance from Lucas Matthysse –out boxing Peterson from the outside and out fighting him on the inside. Matthysse is not only one of the most damaging punchers currently in boxing, but with his ring intelligence and punch placement, he is also one of the most cerebral. Unlike some punchers who are head over heels in love with their power and aim everything at the head, Matthysse will patiently work the body for a period of time (usually behind straight rights and low jabs), bringing down his opponent’s guard before taking the attack up top. And when he is attacking up top, he is always mixing up straight punches with arcing punches, constantly forcing his opponents to narrow and widen their guard to compensate. Add to this the fact that he almost always takes his head off line while he is punching, and you have a very complete and dangerous fighter indeed.

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Lee Wylie

Haney-Garcia Redux with the Focus on Harvey Dock

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Haney-Garcia-Redux-with-the-Focus-on-Harvey-Dock

Saturday’s skirmish between Ryan Garcia and WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney was a messy affair, and yet a hugely entertaining fight fused with great drama. In the aftermath, Garcia and Haney were celebrated – the former for fooling all the experts and the latter for his gallant performance in a losing effort – but there were only brickbats for the third man in the ring, referee Harvey Dock.

Devin Haney was plainly ahead heading into the seventh frame when there was a sudden turnabout when Garcia put him on the canvas with his vaunted left hook. Moments later, Dock deducted a point from Garcia for a late punch coming out of a break. The deduction forced a temporary cease-fire that gave Haney a few precious seconds to regain his faculties. Before the round was over, Haney was on the deck twice more but these were ruled slips.

The deduction, which effectively negated the knockdown, struck many as too heavy-handed as Dock hadn’t previously issued a warning for this infraction. Moreover, many thought he could have taken a point away from Haney for excessive clinching. As for Haney’s second and third trips to the canvas in round seven, they struck this reporter – watching at home – as borderline, sufficient to give referee Dock the benefit of the doubt.

In a post-fight interview, Ryan Garcia faulted the referee for denying him the satisfaction of a TKO. “At the end of the day, Harvey Dock, I think he was tripping,” said Garcia. “He could have stopped that fight.”

Those that played the rounds proposition, placing their coin on the “under,” undoubtedly felt the same way.

The internet lit up with comments assailing Dock’s competence and/or his character. Some of the ponderings were whimsical, but they were swamped by the scurrilous screeching of dolts who find a conspiracy under every rock.

Stephen A. Smith, reputedly America’s highest-paid TV sports personality, was among those that felt a need to weigh-in: “This referee is absolutely terrible….Unreal! Horrible officiating,” tweeted Stephen A whose primary area of expertise is basketball.

Harvey Dock

Dock fought as an amateur and had one professional fight, winning a four-round decision over a fellow novice on a show at a non-gaming resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He says that as an amateur he was merely average, but he was better than that, a New Jersey and regional amateur champion in 1993 and 1994 while a student New Jersey’s Essex County Community College where he majored in journalism.

A passionate fan of Sugar Ray Leonard, he started officiating amateur fights in 1998 and six years later, at age 32, had his first documented action at the professional level, working low-level cards in New Jersey. The top boxing referees, to a far greater extent than the top judges, had long apprenticeships, having worked their way up from the boonies and Dock is no exception.

Per boxrec, Haney vs Garcia was Harvey Dock’s 364^th assignment in the pros and his forty-second world title fight. Some of those title fights were title in name only, they weren’t even main events, but, bit by bit, more lucrative offerings started coming his way.

On May 13, 2023, Dock worked his first fights in Nevada, a 4-rounder and then a 12-rounder on a card at the Cosmopolitan topped by the 140-pound title fight between Rolly Romero and Ismael Barroso. It was the first time that this reporter got to watch Dock in the flesh.

Ironically (in hindsight), the card would be remembered for the actions of a referee, in this case Tony Weeks who handled the main event. Barroso was winning the fight on all three cards when Weeks stepped in and waived it off in the ninth round after Romero cornered Barroso against the ropes and let loose a barrage of punches, none of which landed cleanly. Few “premature stoppages” were ever as garishly, nay ghoulishly, premature.

With all the brickbats raining down on Weeks, I felt a need to tamp down the noise by diverting attention away from Tony Weeks and toward Harvey Dock and took to the TSS Forum to share my thoughts. Referencing the 12-rounder, a robust junior welterweight affair between Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims Jr, I noted that Dock’s Las Vegas debut went smoothly. He glided effortlessly around the ring, making him inconspicuous, the mark of a good referee. (This post ran on May 15, two days after the fight.)

Folks at the Nevada State Athletic Commission were also paying attention. Dock was back in Las Vegas the following week to referee the lightweight title fight between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko and before the year was out, he would be tabbed to referee the biggest non-heavyweight fight of the year, the July 29 match in Las Vegas between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.

The Haney-Garcia fight wasn’t Harvey Dock’s best hour, I’ll concede that, but a closer look at his full body of work informs us that he is an outstanding referee.

—

While the Haney-Garcia bout was in progress, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman threw everyone a curve ball, tweeting on “X” that Devin Haney would keep his title if he lost the fight. Everyone, including the TV commentators, was under the impression that the title would become vacant in the event that Haney lost.

Sulaiman cited the precedent of Corrales-Castillo II.

FYI: The Corrales-Castillo rematch, originally scheduled for June 3, 2005 and aborted on the day prior when Castillo failed to make weight, finally came off on Oct. 8 of that year, notwithstanding the fact that Castillo failed to make weight once again, scaling three-and-a-half pounds above the lightweight limit. He knocked out Corrales in the fourth round with a left hook that Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Kevin Iole, alluding to the movie “Blazing Saddles,” described as Mongo-esque (translation: the punch would have knocked out a horse). After initially insisting on a rubber match, which had scant chance of happening, WBC president Jose Sulaiman, Mauricio’s late father, ruled that Corrales could keep his title.

Whether or not you agree with Mauricio Sulaiman’s rationale, the timing of his announcement was certainly awkward.

Haney’s mandatory is Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs), a cutie best known for his 2021 upset of Mikey Garcia. A bout between Haney and Martin has the earmarks of a dull fight.

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In a Shocker, Ryan Garcia Confounds the Experts and Upsets Devin Haney

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

David A. Avila

In-a-Shocker-Ryan-Garcia-Confounds-the-Experts-and-Upsets-Devin-Haney

Its good to be crazy. Like a fox.

Ryan “KingRy” Garcia knocked down WBC super lightweight titlist Devin Haney three times to remind everyone of his fighting abilities in winning by majority decision on Saturday.

“I just knew what I could do,” Garcia said.

Fans will not forget the lanky kid from Victorville, California now.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) fooled everyone in playing crazy weeks before the fight, then showed shocking power to hand Haney (30-1, 15 KOs) his first loss as a professional at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Haney’s WBC super lightweight title was not at stake for Garcia because he weighed three pounds over the limit.

After Garcia seemingly acting out of control on social media, Haney’s guard must have slipped in the first round during the first few seconds as Garcia connected with that hellish left hook and Haney, with a look of shock in his eyes, almost went down. He barely survived the first round.

“He caught me with it,” said Haney.

During the next few rounds, Haney proceeded to advance toward Garcia seemingly fully aware of the lethal left hook. He used feints and rights to score with a busier approach as Garcia seemed cocked and ready to counter with a left hook.

In the fourth round it seemed Haney was confident he had regained control of the fight, but every time he opened up with more than a two-punch combination Garcia reminded him whose hands were faster and more dangerous.

Though Garcia seldom jabbed he seemed bent on looking for the right moment to unleash his deadly left hook. And every time the Southern California fighter opened up with a combination he scored and Haney dare not exchange.

A few times Haney smiled as if signifying he escaped.

In the seventh round Haney looked to punish Garcia’s body and instead was met with a three-punch combination included a left hook to the chin and down went Haney slumped on the ground. He managed to beat the count and as soon as Garcia came within reach Haney wrapped his arms around him with a python grip. Despite the warnings by referee Harvey Dock, the fallen fighter would not release and Garcia impatiently fired a weak punch during the break. The referee deducted a point from Garcia though he could have deducted a point from Haney for not obeying his instructions to release his hold. Haney actually went down three times in the round but only one was counted by the referee.

From that point on Haney was very cautious but still looking to win by decision.

Though Garcia kept using a shoulder-roll defense that left his body exposed, he would retaliate with three and four punch combinations that usually Haney could defend against other fighters.. But Garcia’s blazing combinations were too fast to defend.

In the 10^th round Haney looked to attack and was countered by Garcia’s right and a blinding left hook to the chin and another two blows that sent the former undisputed lightweight champion to the floor again.

It didn’t look good for Haney to survive.

Garcia walked into the 11^th round still composed and never out-of-control He dared Haney to exchange and when within striking distance Garcia unleashed another lightning combination and down went Haney again with a defeated look.

Both fighters had fought each other as amateurs six times so there were no surprises between them. But Garcia’s power and speed were superior and that was the difference in a professional fight.

In the final round both were cautious with Garcia’s combination punching proving too dangerous for Haney to open up. Garcia celebrated early as the round ended confident of victory.

After 12 rounds Garcia was seen the victor by majority decision 112-112, 114-110, 115-109.

“You really thought I was crazy,” Garcia told the interviewer and the crowd. “You guys hated on me.”

Other Bouts

Arnold Barboza (30-0) won a curious split decision victory over United Kingdom’s Sean McComb (18-2) in a 10-round super lightweight fight. McComb’s long reach and busy southpaw style gave Barboza trouble. But he managed to win the fight though the crowd was not pleased.

Bektemir Melikuziev (14-1, 10 KOs) defeated France’s Pierre Dibombe (22-1-1) by technical decision after eight rounds due to a cut on his eye from an accidental head butt. It was a very competitive super middleweight fight.

Costa Rica’s David Jimenez (16-1, 11 KOs) outworked John “Scrappy Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs) in a 12-round scrap to upset the Los Angeles based fighter. After a few close rounds Jimenez simply bullied his way inside and forced Ramirez against the ropes and unloaded his guns.

After 12 rounds two judges saw it 117-111 and 116-114 all for Jimenez.

“I’m a hard-working man from Cartago I come from nothing,” said Jimenez. “My corner told me I had to work inside.”

Charles Conwell (19-0, 14 KOs) stepped on the gas early with vicious body shots and uppercuts and blasted through the resilient Nathaniel Gallimore (22-8-1, 17 KOs) for several rounds. After a brutal fifth and sixth round the referee halted the one-side beating in favor of Conwell who was fighting for the first time under the Golden Boy banner.

Another winner was Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5) by decision over Vaughn Alexander (18-11-1) in a super middleweight match.

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Haney and Garcia: Bipolar Opposites

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

TSS Press

Haney and Garcia: Bipolar Opposites

One young man flew halfway around the world to take on a world champion in his own living room; not once, but twice. The other young man quit prior to one fight, and then again during another one.

The first guy mentioned is an obedient son of an ultra-streetwise father. The type of parent where, if he doesn’t know the answer (and more times than not he most likely does), he will know where to find it. The second guy doesn’t appear to have that quality guidance scenario going on for him, which is probably for the best, because he believes he has all the answers.

The first guy is on record as saying he wants to go down in boxing history as an all-time great. The other guy? He decided not to continue in a fight while he was still sporting an undefeated record. You may think to yourself if there was ever a time to soldier through, right?

Then yesterday, that same guy missed making weight by 3.2 pounds, and seemed to be more than fine with it, to the point where he actually appeared to be quite pleased with himself.

If you haven’t heard, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia are going to share a boxing ring in a twelve round go for God knows what will be at stake by the time they actually punch off. The fact that no one from Garcia’s team has stepped in and rescued him from these unfolding events, his own personal well-being, and/or not to mention Devin Haney is, well, troubling in and of itself.

Back in the amateur days, the record shows they split six fights. They were boys back then, so it means zero. If anything, you’d want to be the older of the two, and Ryan had over a three-month age advantage. If you’ve only been on the planet for a total of 120 months or so, every extra month could be a big enough difference in strength and development. Now as world class professionals in their prime? That’s different. Younger is always better. Devin is that guy.

Haney and Garcia fought six times for free but will fight only once as professionals. Then one of them will continue with their march for historic greatness, while the other will head back to Kamp Krazy, where he’s the current Mayor.

It’s never smart to lay 8-1, 9-1 in boxing. And if you see taking Garcia as a value bet with +500 to +600 and beyond, you don’t understand value and you evidently don’t like money.

There is, however, a wagering opportunity here.

Total Rounds: Fight doesn’t go 10.5 rounds.

Take anything over +125. It’s worth a unit on a scale of 5. Logically, there are a lot of ways to cash this ticket: legitimate victory, meltdown, catching lightning in a bottle, etc. Or simply the exiting stage left of a guy who may be already plotting his next career move.

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