RingTV.com caught up to Barry Hunter, the trainer of newly-crowned IBF/WBA junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson, and he gave his thoughts on the fact that since beating Amir Khan, the 27-year-old Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) has become a candidate to face RING No. 1-rated pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs).
Peterson, who earned $650,000 to Khan’s $1.1 million, is reported to be under consideration along with other options for Pacquiao, which include a fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez and bouts opposite WBO junior welterweight beltholder Tim Bradley or WBA junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told RingTV.com that he sees Peterson as “a great opponent for Manny Pacquiao if the fight (with WBC welterweight titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr.) does not happen.”
Mayweather is facing a 90-day jail sentence that is slated to begin on Jan. 6, a development which threatens his announced plan to return to the ring on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Many have speculated his opponent was intended to be Pacquiao.
Rated No. 2 in his division by THE RING, Peterson appeared on an edition of NBC’s Washington, D.C.-based news broadcast and declared himself “ready to go” if called upon to face Pacquiao.
Peterson has been offered a career-high $1 million by Golden Boy Promotions for a rematch with Khan, who has cited poor officiating and scorecard descrepancies among the reasons he has appealed to the IBF and the WBA to overturn Peterson’s victory or else to order an immediate rematch.
Hunter said Peterson is also considering a return bout with RING No. 8-rated pound-for-pound Bradley, owner of a unanimous decision over Peterson for the WBO belt in December of 2009. RingTV.com: Your thoughts on how seriously Lamont is being considered as a potential opponent for Pacquiao?
Barry Hunter: Freddie Roach is a boxing guy, and I think that he’s an honorable person. So I definitely have a lot or respect for the man and what he thinks. Michael Koncz? You know, I don’t know him like I know Freddie.
But to be definitely spoken about and to be named with people like Manny Pacquiao the rest of these top of the line guys? You know, like Floyd. That tells you that you’re a great fighter. So that’s always an honor.
But when it comes down to fighting, and this is not speaking from one who is arrogant, but just from one who is very, very confident in what we do, I think that Lamont could fight any of them.
And I’m confident that he would do well with any of them. So, whatever that next step is as far as fighting is concerned, you know, I think that Lamont is ready for anybody.
