The backdrop: This Friday Night Fights main event is an excellent matchup of young and skilled 140-pound talents with much to prove and much at stake. Both Peterson (28-1-1, 14 knockouts) and Cayo (26-1, 18 KOs) want to put recent setbacks behind them with a high-profile victory on Friday. Peterson, a 27-year-old technician from Washington, D.C., was out pointed by Timothy Bradley in a 2009 title bout and held to a draw by current WBC beltholder Victor Ortiz last December. He performed well enough in those fights to earn a No. 7 ranking by THE RING, but he wants a title around his waist and he?ll get the opportunity to fight for the IBF 140-pound belt — currently held by Amir Khan — if he beats Cayo. However, the 26-year-old native of the Dominican Republic will pose a stern challenge to Peterson. Cayo?s only loss is sixth-round KO (on a body shot) to Marcos Maidana last March. Before the Argentine crusher beat him, the athletic stylist turned heads with a 10-round decision over former lightweight belthodler Julio Diaz and a third-round TKO of prospect Julio Reyes. Peterson has the technique and pressure to trouble Cayo and the Dominican has the speed and movement to bother Peterson. Hopefully, their styles mesh in a manner that produces a good fight. On the undercard, former middleweight contender-turned-super middleweight opponent Edison Miranda (34-5, 25 KOs) tries to jumpstart his lagging career at light heavyweight by taking on former Cuban amateur star Yordanis Despaigne (8-1, 4 KOs), who is coming off a 10-round decision loss to hot prospect Ismayl Sillakh in March.
Also fighting: Edison Miranda vs. Yordanis Despaigne, 10 rounds, light heavyweights
Rating the card: A-. This is a terrific show. Peterson-Cayo is good enough to be the opening bout of a Showtime or HBO Championship Boxing broadcast (in fact, it almost was) and Miranda-Despaigne is a classic cross-roads/puncher-vs.-boxer matchup.
