Garcia/Peterson Agree to 143 Catchweight, No Titles On The Line

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On April 11th, current WBC, WBA, and Ring Light Welterweight champion Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia will be back in the ring for the first time this year in a showdown against IBF champion Lamont Peterson. After months of rumors and showcase fights circulating around this match-up, many thought that this would be a battle for the 140lb titles but now… que the plot twist.

Instead of Garcia adding to his bank of belts, this will be his second consecutive non title fight. By April, Garcia will have gone a year without defending his titles and now the Peterson fight has been agreed upon as a catchweight of 143lbs.

Peterson is also no stranger to having a title and not defending it. In May of 2013, Peterson agreed to fight Lucas Matthysse at a catchweight as well. Had he defended the title, he would have lost it via a 3rd round knockout at the hands of the ‘Machine’.

Garcia claims the reason he is not defending his titles is because he is making the slow ascent up in weight.

Garcia explained the catchweight to ESPN.com, “I’m slowly making my way up to welterweight, I feel a lot fresher and stronger. At the end of the day this is a fight the fans want to see no matter what weight.”

The fight has been agreed upon, the terms have been met. At this point, the only question is whether the importance of this fight will be lost at the hands of the very two combatants that hold the crowns.