Lucas Matthysse will get his third chance at a recognized world title when he faces Tewa Kiram on Saturday night, live on HBO, for the vacant WBA “world” welterweight title.
Trainer Joel Diaz says that if Matthysse (38-4, 35 KO) doesn’t win this fight, he might as well retire from boxing.
“This is his third opportunity, I believe, for a world title. Let’s be realistic: if he loses this fight, he has no more business in boxing,” Diaz said. “If he loses this fight, he’ll be a stepping stone for up-and-coming fighters. He needs to win this fight. He needs to grab the bull by the horns and take it. There’s no tomorrow. It’s today.”
Matthysse, 35, was previously beaten by Danny Garcia and Viktor Postol in world title fights. He did hold the interim WBC title at 140 pounds in 2012-13.
Given Matthysse’s age and track record in world title fights, Diaz is probably not wrong. It might be harsh, but boxing is a harsh business, and if Matthysse loses here, he probably does become a stepping stone with a name, which is the type of stepping stone promoters like the best.