Garcia and Peterson set up showdown with easy wins

Sport360 staff 07:09 11/08/2014
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  • Swift conclusion: Danny Garcia (l) had far too much for Rod Salka.

    Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson are set for a huge light-welterweight unification bout after both won in emphatic style at the weekend.

    Fighting on the same card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Garcia, the WBO and WBA champion, viciously knocked out Rod Salka in the second round, while Peterson, the IBF king, disposed of Edgar Santana.

    The two are now likely to meet later this year, or early in 2015, to unify the division – although Garcia claimed Peterson wouldn’t want to fight him after witnessing his demolition of Salka.

    Garcia said: “I don’t think he (Peterson) wants to fight me after watching my performance.

    “We fought similar kinds of opponents and I made a statement. He was supposed to come here and make more of a statement.

    “I’m going to keep entertaining. Upsets happen in boxing but they don’t always happen.”

    He added: “I want to fight anybody, my management (Al Haymon, who also handles Peterson) puts in front of me. My job is to fight.”

    Hopelessly overmatched, the far-inferior ranked Salka couldn’t cope with Garcia’s firepower, tasting the canvas twice before being put to sleep by big left hook. Peterson’s night’s work was a little more demanding, with an outclassed Santana managing to stay in the fight for 10 rounds.

    The punishment was eventually halted, however, as the Washington fighter piled on the pressure.

    Peterson said: “Hopefully we can make [a fight with Garcia] happen because it’s the fight that all the fans and media wants.

    “Once again and I’m going to say it, I’m willing to do it and hopefully it will get done.”

    With the two men sharing the same promoter in Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions, the fight should be an easy one to make – especially with influential advisor Al Haymon also representing both fighters.

    On the possibility of the bout happening, Eric Gomez, vice president of Golden Boy, was optimistic.

    He said: “We’ve talked about it. Garcia is available and he’s willing to fight him. Lamont said he wants to fight Danny. It’s a fight we’re going to talk about (for) this year, early next year, whatever.”

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