Long layoffs often spell trouble for older boxers, as ring rust develops and the unrelenting march of time chips away at their best attributes.Lamont Peterson, 33 years old and coming off a 16-month absence from the ring, never looked in trouble and hardly looked the worse for wear on Saturday night, defeating David Avanesyan by unanimous decision to win the regular WBA world welterweight title in his first fight at 147 pounds.PBC provided the judges' scores:Capable of fighting on the outside and slipping punches with aplomb, Peterson's (35-3-1, 17 KOs) ability to fight on the inside and deliver incisive, stinging body work delivered him the win over Avanesyan (22-2-1, 11 KOs). Sho Stats provided the final punch numbers from the bout:Peterson's win gives him a shot at fighting the winner of Keith Thurman-Danny Garcia, which would be a massive late-career fight for the former two-time super lightweight champion. Prior to Saturday's bout at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, the veteran Peterson noted he's no longer overly anxious to fight, which served him well against Avanesyan and would benefit him against either Thurman or Garcia."At this point, I'm not anxious to get in there," Peterson said, per the Washington Post's Gene Wang. "I'm a vet in this game now. Fights come as they come. If it's 16 months or two years later, as long as I'm motivated to get in the ring, I'm going to take my time and do it right."Before the fight even began, it was hard not to notice Peterson rocking some especially short purple trunks. Bad Left Hook pegged them as a throwback-NBA length:After a first round that saw Peterson escape nearly untouched, Avanesyan smartly adjusted by closing down the length and doubling and tripling up on his punches.The wily Peterson slipped plenty of punches, but he caught a few sharp shots along the way. Peterson established a sturdy jab early on, opening up a cut over the 28-year-old's right eye in the second round and using the punch to keep Avanesyan at bay.When the aging Peterson strayed from the jab, Avanesyan was able to get busy and land a few combinations. As the Russian pushed the pace of the fight through the middle rounds, the Queensberry Rules noted his opponent didn't look quite like his former self:While Avanesyan was busier, Peterson was landing at a slightly higher rate through five, per Sho Stats:The action steadily increased as the fight went on. Peterson ditched fighting at the edge of Avanesyan's range entirely and opted for some phone-booth fighting. Both fighters did well to switch between the jab and the body, with the sixth and seventh rounds featuring some particularly nice exchanges.Boxer Sergio Mora appreciated their abilities:Avanesyan switched to southpaw in the later round, to no noticeable effect. The fight remained a very close, even affair, with Peterson's advantage coming from an ephemeral jab and several sounds hooks to the body.Peterson showed disdain for Avanesyan leaning on him in a rather visual way in the ninth, per Showtime Boxing:The action remained fairly close in the championship rounds, but Avanesyan couldn't do anything well enough to throw off Peterson or, more crucially, sway the judges. Despite giving away his reach advantage, Peterson forced his opponent to the ropes more often and was more precise in his punching.Peterson's display showed that he still has plenty left in the tank. He might not be quite as spry as he was a couple of years ago, spending entire rounds dodging and slipping punches, but he has the ring smarts to carry him through fighters like Avanesyan.A next challenge for Peterson, if he can't get the Thurman-Garcia winner, would be to face one of the heavier hitters in the division, one who might test his speed and defensive prowess more than Avanesyan did on Saturday night.
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