OXON HILL, Md. — Sergey Lipinets may get another title shot. Lamont Peterson is done.
Lipinets stopped Peterson in the 10th round of a brutal welterweight bout on Sunday night, bringing Peterson to declare an end to his career just minutes after his trainer threw in the towel.
""It’s been a long career but today is the day," the 35-year-old Peterson said over the PA system at the MGM National Harbor, just miles from his native Washington. "I love everyone here and I’m always going to support this area, but I’m sure it’s time for me to hang it up. I couldn’t go out in a better way here at home. This will be the last time you see me in the ring."
Fighting for the first time in 14 months, Peterson (35-5-1) started strong but began to lose ground to Lipinets (15-1, 11 KOs). After appearing close to a knockdown two rounds prior, Lipinets felled peterson in a neutral corner at the end of the 10th.
Peterson staggered to his feet as trainer Barry Hunter tossed the towel in, and moments later Hunter held Peterson in his arms in the centre of the ring.
"It kind of just came out of nowhere at the end," Peterson said. "That’s been happening to me more now, and that let me know that it’s time for this to be the last time in the ring."
After being dominated in January 2018 by Errol Spence in a contest for the vacant IBF welterweight title, Peterson appeared to consider retirement then. He returned to fight alongside his brother Anthony Peterson, with the two sharing a TV card for the first time in 13 years.
Lipinets is two fights removed from losing his only 140-pound IBF defence in a unanimous decision to Mikey Garcia a year ago. He is now 2-0 at 147.
After a bout in which both fighters set career highs in punches thrown, according to CompuBox, Lipinets believed he’d proven his credentials for a title shot at the heavier weight.
"I feel great about the statement I made to the welterweight division," Lipinets, a Kazakhstan-born Russian based in California, said through an interpreter. "This let me know where I’m at in the 147-pound weight class. … Peterson is an excellent fighter with unbelievable skills and he’s showed me what I can really do."
Earlier, Lamont’s brother Anthony (37-1-1) fought former IBF 130-pound title holder Argenis Mendez (25-5-2) to a split draw in a 10-round bout at 140 pounds.
Anthony Peterson, who at 34 was hoping to make a case for a first title shot, began well before Mendez grew stronger in the later round. None of the three judges giving either fighter more than six rounds.
"It’s not a step forward or a step back," Anthony said. "It’s a standstill. I want to fight for the world championship and I think tonight was ultimately a step in the right direction."
Mendez believed he’d won, but added, "I could have thrown more punches in the first half of the fight."
Between the Peterson brothers’ fights, Jamontay Clark (14-1) outpointed Vernon Brown (10-1-1) on all three cards at 154, though most in the crowd booed the decision.
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