Photo credit: Shamel Washington
Welcome to our first installment in the 2015 season of our original series DRIVEN. The season premier focuses on Washington, D.C. boxing champion, Lamont Peterson, who faced the undefeated Danny Swift Garcia this past Saturday in Brooklyn.
This fight is also the second installment of the new Premier Boxing Champions series on NBC created by boxing advisor, Al Haymon; but for Lamont Peterson, who considers PBC a good move for boxing, its all about progression for a career that has been stellar thus far.
Growing up in the rough and rugged environment of the Chocolate City, Peterson and his brother Anthony experienced a world very different from the distinguished embassies off Connecticut Avenue.
It was pretty rough growing up. I have 11 brothers and sisters we never really had both parents at one time; we was either with my father or my mother. It was rough we lived in shelter homes, foster care, house to house, relatives, friends but once I got into boxing things kind of calmed down and meeting Barry he always made sure we always had a place to stay and that we were eating right and properly and just teaching us things about life. I can honestly say boxing changed my life.
Peterson went on an undefeated tear from the moment he turned professional and stayed so for five years until he met Tim Bradley for the WBO Light Welterweight title, where he lost via unanimous decision. He had won six titles leading into that fight and has never waned from the champions heart he is now famous for.
Hard work and a lot of dedication. I didnt take any days off after a fight I was in there Monday. I didnt take any days off, after the fight I would take Sunday off but I would be in there Monday. Normally when youre at the age when you are normally partying a lot I sacrificed and I can honestly say I didnt go out at all. I didnt have any kids at the time so it was all strictly boxing. I was dedicated to my craft and it paid off building my record to 27-0 and the title shot.
Its really important to reach out to the fans and make sure that theyre watching boxing, said Peterson. A lot of people are saying that boxing is a dying sport but I think not.
I just believe that there are still great fighters out here and great match-ups. There have been a lot of great fights over the years but the fans dont really get a chance to see them. No one is talking about them but now that its opened back up to the mainstream a lot of the fans can see and talk about these great fights when Ray Leonard and them was fighting.
Enter Danny Garcia. Swift is still in the undefeated category and matched Peterson with 17 KOs. Peterson has had 7 more fights than Garcia. This is the fight that the fans had been begging for and finally got. They got to see what Lamont Peterson is capable of inside of the ring.
But more importantly, we give you the chance to see who Lamont Peterson really is outside of the ring, and what makes him Driven.