NAAZIM RICHARDSON: "THESE GUYS HAVE A REAL CHALLENGE IN FRONT OF THEM WITH MATTHYSSE...ANYTHING HE HITS, HE HURTS"
By Percy Crawford | May 23, 2013
"Listen, these guys fighting Matthysse that's struggling to make weight and just think they gonna go and move for 12 rounds; you gotta have your legs to move for 12 rounds and if you struggled to make the weight limit, you won't have your legs to move the way you would have to move to stay away, and if he connects in one round, it takes your legs away for the rest of the fight, so to say it's a double-edge sword is an understatement. These guys have a real challenge in front of them with Matthysse...If you can't make Matthysse miss for at least 8 rounds, then you are in trouble. Anything he hits, he hurts. I had that kid in camp one time and anything he hits, he hurts," stated world-class trainer Naazim Richardson, who shared his thoughts on Lucas Matthysse's performance, a potential clash with Danny Garcia, and more. Check it out!
PC: Brother Naaz, I won't keep you long; just wanted to ask a few questions about Matthysse and Peterson. First of all, I know you were in attendance and you have known Lamont and Barry Hunter for a long time. What did you tell Lamont after the fight?
NR: You know Perc, the first thing I asked him after the fight was, was he okay physically, and he said yes, he felt fine physically, he was just disappointed. I told him, "As long as you are okay physically, the rest is just boxing." You know, you deal with the ups and downs and being disappointed and that's just a part of boxing, but the main thing was that he was okay physically and I told him he's been fighting for a long time and he's been here before and he bounced back. I don't see a reason why he couldn't do it again.
PC: Lucas Matthysse definitely comes as advertised, and that's the problem for his opponents is that he's exactly what people say he is.
NR: Listen, these guys fighting Matthysse that's struggling to make weight and just think they gonna go and move for 12 rounds; you gotta have your legs to move for 12 rounds and if you struggled to make the weight limit, you won't have your legs to move the way you would have to move to stay away, and if he connects in one round, it takes your legs away for the rest of the fight, so to say it's a double-edge sword is an understatement. These guys have a real challenge in front of them with Matthysse, and on top of that, they are sweating down in weight, and when you sweat down in weight, I mean, Lamont was fighting my son Rock in the amateurs at 140 pounds years ago, so he can make 40, but he can't move for 12 rounds like Sergio Martinez for 12 rounds at 140, and that's what you need to do with Matthysse.
PC: So you definitely feel it was a matter of Lamont at some point having to stop and fight Lucas is what caused him to get caught so early?
NR: If you can't make Matthysse miss for at least 8 rounds, then you are in trouble. Anything he hits, he hurts. I had that kid in camp one time and anything he hits, he hurts; trust me! It's a discipline to it. They see Bernard fight Trinidad and Bernard fight Tarver and see Bernard fight Pavlik and you say it's an easy fight; you can do this. And then you see Sergio Martinez fight Chavez and he loses focus for a split second, or you see Meldrick Taylor fight Chavez Sr. and he loses focus in the last round. It's difficult.
PC: Now you have watched Danny Garcia fight for a long time and it looks like he will be throwing down with Matthysse in September. Can Danny end this hype or does Matthysse stamp his "Fighter of the Year" card?
NR: Matthysse is a rough one, man, but I'm gonna hold the horses. I'm a Matthysse fan and I like him and loved his personality when we had him in camp, but you gotta prove to me that you can take Danny Garcia's left hook. Matthysse got a chin too, but you gotta prove to me that you can take Danny's left hook. So that's one of those types of fights that if Danny lands that left hook from the door, we gonna find out some things about Matthysse. But I'm gonna tell you, whoever emerges from that fight is a bonafide superstar and a definite candidate for Floyd.
PC: Yeah, I had to get your thoughts on that fight because Matthysse is obviously punching like a mule.
NR: Well, he's doing a few things because he's one of the few guys that have a hard punch, but he's got a good chin too.
By Percy Crawford | May 23, 2013
"Listen, these guys fighting Matthysse that's struggling to make weight and just think they gonna go and move for 12 rounds; you gotta have your legs to move for 12 rounds and if you struggled to make the weight limit, you won't have your legs to move the way you would have to move to stay away, and if he connects in one round, it takes your legs away for the rest of the fight, so to say it's a double-edge sword is an understatement. These guys have a real challenge in front of them with Matthysse...If you can't make Matthysse miss for at least 8 rounds, then you are in trouble. Anything he hits, he hurts. I had that kid in camp one time and anything he hits, he hurts," stated world-class trainer Naazim Richardson, who shared his thoughts on Lucas Matthysse's performance, a potential clash with Danny Garcia, and more. Check it out!
PC: Brother Naaz, I won't keep you long; just wanted to ask a few questions about Matthysse and Peterson. First of all, I know you were in attendance and you have known Lamont and Barry Hunter for a long time. What did you tell Lamont after the fight?
NR: You know Perc, the first thing I asked him after the fight was, was he okay physically, and he said yes, he felt fine physically, he was just disappointed. I told him, "As long as you are okay physically, the rest is just boxing." You know, you deal with the ups and downs and being disappointed and that's just a part of boxing, but the main thing was that he was okay physically and I told him he's been fighting for a long time and he's been here before and he bounced back. I don't see a reason why he couldn't do it again.
PC: Lucas Matthysse definitely comes as advertised, and that's the problem for his opponents is that he's exactly what people say he is.
NR: Listen, these guys fighting Matthysse that's struggling to make weight and just think they gonna go and move for 12 rounds; you gotta have your legs to move for 12 rounds and if you struggled to make the weight limit, you won't have your legs to move the way you would have to move to stay away, and if he connects in one round, it takes your legs away for the rest of the fight, so to say it's a double-edge sword is an understatement. These guys have a real challenge in front of them with Matthysse, and on top of that, they are sweating down in weight, and when you sweat down in weight, I mean, Lamont was fighting my son Rock in the amateurs at 140 pounds years ago, so he can make 40, but he can't move for 12 rounds like Sergio Martinez for 12 rounds at 140, and that's what you need to do with Matthysse.
PC: So you definitely feel it was a matter of Lamont at some point having to stop and fight Lucas is what caused him to get caught so early?
NR: If you can't make Matthysse miss for at least 8 rounds, then you are in trouble. Anything he hits, he hurts. I had that kid in camp one time and anything he hits, he hurts; trust me! It's a discipline to it. They see Bernard fight Trinidad and Bernard fight Tarver and see Bernard fight Pavlik and you say it's an easy fight; you can do this. And then you see Sergio Martinez fight Chavez and he loses focus for a split second, or you see Meldrick Taylor fight Chavez Sr. and he loses focus in the last round. It's difficult.
PC: Now you have watched Danny Garcia fight for a long time and it looks like he will be throwing down with Matthysse in September. Can Danny end this hype or does Matthysse stamp his "Fighter of the Year" card?
NR: Matthysse is a rough one, man, but I'm gonna hold the horses. I'm a Matthysse fan and I like him and loved his personality when we had him in camp, but you gotta prove to me that you can take Danny Garcia's left hook. Matthysse got a chin too, but you gotta prove to me that you can take Danny's left hook. So that's one of those types of fights that if Danny lands that left hook from the door, we gonna find out some things about Matthysse. But I'm gonna tell you, whoever emerges from that fight is a bonafide superstar and a definite candidate for Floyd.
PC: Yeah, I had to get your thoughts on that fight because Matthysse is obviously punching like a mule.
NR: Well, he's doing a few things because he's one of the few guys that have a hard punch, but he's got a good chin too.
