From inside the ?Champions Lounge?, a dimly lit event room set in the underbelly of the Stub Hub Center between the soccer field and the tennis arena made famous for boxing rather than tennis rackets, some 20 plus wrist-band credentialed media were specially invited for an intimate sit down roundtable with boxing?s most recent favorite knockout artist, Argentine Lucas Matthysse.
The media brazenly jockeyed for position to get inches closer to ?The Machine?, who was decked out in a CALI-FOR-NIA cap and shirt highlighted by a highlighter green sweat jacket and spoke on his upcoming fight with Danny Garcia, which serves as the precursor to that nights main event, you know, that one, ?The One? between Floyd ?Money? Mayweather and Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez.
For the better part of an hour, while 2012 Olympian?s Jo Jo Diaz and Dominic Breazeale were busy knocking out their opponents 50 yards away in the tennis-court set squared circle, Matthysse fielded questions and provided a handful of video-taped interviews, speaking on why he opted not to participate in the planned cross country pre-fight press conference, if he plans on fighting in his native Argentina and even what he thinks of his nickname ?The Machine?.
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Speculation has been rampant leading up to September 14 that the bout between Matthysse and Garcia is not only for unified title status in the 140 pound division but an audition to become Mayweather?s next opponent in 2014.
The Ring Magazine wasted no time as the first question lobbed up to Matthysse was about just that and if he thinks that?s what?s next.
?Yes, it?s an important fight and I know that it will open up doors (to fight Mayweather).?
It was known going into the bout that in addition to fighting Garcia, Matthysse would also have to deal with the out of the ring situation that is ?Swifty?s? trainer, one Angel Garcia, who is also the father of his future opponent.
No word on who was first to balk at having a press conference for the fight, and you can take either camps insinuations with a grain of salt, but Matthysse made it known that he didn?t wish to go to Garcia?s native Philadelphia for that portion of the press conference, and then Garcia made it known he didn?t seek to break camp for the Los Angeles leg of the press event.
In either case, the whole damn tour was scrapped, and while Matthysse expressed that he didn?t have much animosity at the time it took to finalize the fight, the fighter did acknowledge that ?It shows that they (Team Garcia) are worried cause? they are talking too much.?
When asked if Garcia suited his style, Matthysse answered in a manner that should get any diehard boxing fan licking their chomps as the fighter gave an old school type of response which all boxing fans hope comes to fruition in the bout before ?The One?.
?Yes, he?s (Garcia) aggressive and comes forward? I think we?re going to beat each other up.?
Take a moment to soak that in for a bit.
Matthysse, (34-2, 32KO) is saying what every boxing fan wants to hear, and following his disputed split decision loss to Devon Alexander in June 2011, Matthysse is on a ferocious six fight knockout streak that has included two opponents throwing up a ?No Mas? and more recently one-round and three-round stoppages.
At this point, ?The Machine? is basically both talking the talk and walking the walk at the same time; words are being backed up by fists when it comes to Matthysse, so should we expect anything less on September 14?
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Although Matthysse has been featured multiple times on premium networks during his career, this Fall will be the fighters first on the grand pay-per-view stage, as well as only being his third career fight in the 21st century?s Mecca of boxing land: Las Vegas.
So just how does Matthysse feel about his first billing on a mega fight night, and one that is projected to be the biggest of the year and possibly the biggest of all-time?
?It?s an honor to be on the big stage. People are going to be able to see the way I fight.?
This writer asked Matthysse what he thought of his nickname ?The Machine?, apparently given to the Argentine by Stateside media/fans.
?If you guys like it, I like it,? was Matthysse?s reply.
?La Maquina? was asked about the flourishing of his fellow Argentine fighters, namely Marcos Maidana (who stopped Josesito Lopez in June at the Stub Hub) and Sergio Martinez, who are having success fighting in the United States.
?All we do is train hard and use our hearts in our fights,? said Matthysse.
Talk even briefly turned to Maidana?s proposed showdown with Adrien Broner, and Matthysse was quick with his prediction should the fight come to fruition in November.
?I feel Maidana is going to win. Broner is going to feel his (Maidana?s) punches and they are going to hurt.?
Matthysse is now 20 some odd days into training camp, which is in its last stage with the final work to be done in Indio, California alongside WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley as he prepares for his title defense against Juan Manuel Marquez.
It was unclear if Matthysse is planning to actually glove up with Bradley, who is near his weight class at 147 pounds to Matthysse?s 140, but it was said that the destination of the final training preparations will be in the desert with the ?Desert Storm?.
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Once interviews were all wrapped up, Matthysse was flanked by GBP personnel and ushered into the sun-bearing confines of the Stub Hub Center to great fanfare, and as MC Tattoo officially announced Matthysse to the crowd, the results doubled as Matthysse was mobbed for autographs and photos.
The love spilled over even when Matthysse came ringside to an area mostly blocked off to fans; Matthysse obliged all he could, then realized he wasn?t in the best area to have fans swarm him and moved back to his own ringside seat.
Later in the night, he joined Hall of Fame inductee Al Bernstein, Mauro Ranallo and Paul Malignaggi on the Showtime set and conducted what was hopefully the poor guy?s last interview of the night.
After wrapping things up with a now nationally televised round-table, Matthysse once again obliged the many fans who were standing on the other end of the blockade and again signed photos/gloves and threw up adjoined fists with photo requesting fans.
After many hours in the media spotlight and interacting with an open-air stadium holding over 7,000 fans who all wanted their own personal piece of him, throughout the no doubt exhausting, California sunshine drenched day, Matthysse showed poise and worked the media/crowd like a well oiled ?Machine?.
With fight night roughly two weeks away, the next time we see the ?Machine?, he will be gloved up against Danny Garcia, looking for his seventh consecutive KO and the future opportunities that a win would provide on September 14.
