Anytime Lucas Matthysse (32-2, 30 KO) is in the ring, the possibility of an explosive KO is increased. The 30-year-old Argentinian is one of the sport's hardest-punchers and one of the most feared men at 140 pounds.
None of the major names in or around his weight class are lining up to fight him.
The two losses on his record are highly-disputed defeats to Devon Alexander in 2011 and Zab Judah in 2010. And although he can slug it out with anyone, he's not just a brawler.
Matthysse excels at counter-punching, and he's shown an excellent chin. He is truly one of the better pound-for-pound fighters in the sport that not enough fans know about.
He'll be defending his WBC interim light welterweight title on Saturday night against Mike Dallas, Jr. (19-2, 8 KO).
Dallas, Jr. is known as the Silent Assassin, but he'll do well just avoiding being put to sleep by Matthysse. He holds a speed advantage over the champion, but the experience and power edge are heavily in favor of Matthysse.
Here is the pre-fight hype video for the Showtime event, the details and information on how and where you can see the fight, and deeper analysis into each man's keys to victory.
When: Saturday, Jan.26, 10 pm ET
Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Joint, Las Vegas
TV: Showtime
Live Stream: Showtime Anytime (Pay Service)
The Book on Matthysse
Fans almost always get their money's worth when they watch Matthysse fight. He generally starts a little slow, but he gets better and better as the fight progresses.
He has tremendous power in both hands, and he makes up for average hand speed with excellent timing. He fires vicious combinations to the head and body. Almost every punch he throws in close quarters is thrown with the intentions of ending the fight.
However, he can also show patience.
His most recent fight against Ajose Olusegun is a perfect example of how Matthysse can drain the energy of opponents and systematically wear them down. After a solid start from Olusegun, Matthysse was victorious by TKO in the 10th round.
If he applies constant pressure to Dallas, Jr. on Saturday night, it'll be hard for him to withstand Matthysse's power and aggression for 12 rounds.
The Book on Dallas, Jr.
Hand and foot speed are perhaps Dallas, Jr.'s best qualities.
He is a slick boxer that excels working behind a solid jab. His major issues in this fight are his lack of punching power and his tendency to stand too upright.
Both are recipes for disaster against a hard counter-puncher like Matthysse.
Even though he's the quicker man, Dallas, Jr. will be hard-pressed to keep up the pace required to out-box Matthysse for 12 rounds. His lack of power makes the issue worse because it doesn't give Matthysse anything to think about as he engages.
For Dallas, Jr. to win, he'll need to stay on his horse, keep the fight on the outside and be very judicious in picking his spots to exchange.
Prediction
It's only a matter of time before Matthysse catches or wears down Dallas, Jr. He'll either time a jab and counter over the top with an overhand right or decimate him with powerful body shots.
The end result will be a KO/TKO victory for Matthysse.
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