-Photo Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime-

     Last night in Hollywood Florida, Samuel Peter proved unquestionably that he is the man to watch on the heavyweight scene as far as prospective future champions are concerned, following his twelve round whitewash victory over the very stubborn James Toney in their highly anticipated rematch. Opting to utilize some untapped talent, Samuel dominated Toney with a controlled jab for the entire fight, showing that he is not just the raw, unrefined slugger many had him labeled as following their first meeting.

 

    To beat a masterful boxer like James in such a manner must now deal him amongst the major players as an immediate threat. Wladimir demonstrated that heavy hands and immovable force can’t always get you victory, but set in place with a very accurate jab and sound mobility it does set you on your way as a very dangerous commodity in the division as it stands. Had Samuel faced Klitschko with the same plan that he designed for Toney, Peter could have saved himself a good ten months of trying to convince the higher powers that he is worthy of being pitched in as a challenger for a major belt.

 

    Oleg is a very beatable heavyweight whose worse flaw is his inconsistency. If he decides that he wants to have a moment's lapse in concentration against an on form Peter, he may find himself staring skyward, reminiscent of his bout with Corey Sanders, a man who in comparison had problems competing in a  Mike Tyson exhibition let alone competitively with Peter.

 

    Wladimir, I honestly reckon, is where the big money lies for Samuel, a return of their epic first bout has to appear the most lucrative to both sides. The Wlad fight still stands as Peter's sole loss, a loss that really became the rallying point where team Peter started to address some of the imperfections that we saw corrected in last night's performance.

 

    Valuev only provides cosmetic value to a serious match up. King’s proverbial Kong is in my opinion just a Jurassic crowd puller that would only waste time that could otherwise be utilized obtaining other belts in more meaningful bouts.

 

    Shannon Briggs would have some market ability if he showed half the character that Samuel did, and try to regain some of the basic skills that made him a one-time talent rather than the desperate homerun hopeful he is at present. The Champions are in their own right to be respected for what they represent, but a word of warning for them all. Sit up and recognize that Samuel Peter, even as a work in progress, is in my opinion The most dangerous threat to the heavyweight champions today.

 

    My congratulations to Samuel Peter, Ivaylo Gotziev, Duva Boxing and all who helped in producing a solid victory for Team Peter... 

1-6-2007