It was just a few short years ago that the name Samuel Peter was a very marketable one. The heavy handed heavyweight from Nigeria was consistently making his mark on the heavyweight division by dropping and stopping a slew of his victims on his way to stardom.
After twenty fights as an amateur and a stint on the Nigerian 2000 Olympic boxing team, Peter opened up his professional career in early 2002 by stopping (0-7) Georgi Hristov at 1:30 in the opening round. Samuel went on to win his first seven bouts via knockout, six in the opening bell, before earning his first decision unanimously by defeating fifty-one fight veteran Marion Wilson.
Peter had banged out twenty-consecutive victories, tallying up seventeen knock outs, and strapped on the minor WBC Youth World heavyweight belt, before his rise in popularity exploded and ran like a wild fire with one unforgettable knockout.
Peter, who had a handful of wins over credible opposition, was set to take on his toughest task in the forty-six fight veteran and former world heavyweight title challenger, Jeremy Williams. The two were set to clash in April of ’04 for the vacant NABF heavyweight title.
Before the bout I was fortunate to interview both fighters in what was an entertaining war of the words. Williams, who is well known for his out spoken ways informed this writer that Peter’s people at that time Duva, was not over looking Williams, but cashing in on Peter. Williams went as far as saying, “I’m the baddest mother (insert explicit) period!”
Peter, who was not as creative as Williams, but still outspoken simply but strongly stated, “I will eat him alive!” The “Nigerian Nightmare” even went as far as predicting a victory over Williams in the second round.
Come fight night, which was held in Vegas, and televised on Showtime, Peter’s prediction of his second round victory would stand true as Williams only lasted twenty-seven seconds going into the second round. Peter landed a left hook that had Williams out cold before he could even fall to the floor in what was a gruesome knockout. But the entertaining knockout was Peter’s first step in marching to the heavyweight crown.
Samuel followed up his win over Williams, with three knockout victories, before hitting a speed bump in the road by the name of Wladimir Klitschko.
Klitschko, who had two wins under his belt after losing a shocker to power punching Lamon Brewster, and was labeled a glass jaw, had the writers around the world banking their money on Peter.
Klitschko, whom we all knew was the superior in boxing skill compared to Peter, still had the “what about his chin” question surrounding him. And in true Klitschko fashion, who all though was downed three times throughout the duration of the bout, schooled Peter for twelve rounds handing out Peter’s first loss.
Peter went on to defeat the two more of the usual suspects in getting Peter back on track, and then had a controversial win over the world’s slickest boxer James Toney. But soundly defeated the former faded champ January of 2007 via unanimous.
Peter, who had fought in twenty-eight bouts and had only one loss under his belt had never been down in his career, and only rocked once in the twelfth round by Wladimir Klitschko. So it would appear that it would be a safe bet that Peter would outbox Jameel McCline who was not known for his heavy hands, but known for fading at the nearing the end of fights.
It was Klitschko-Peter all over again, except, Peter was in the place of Klitschko, being dropped not just for the first time in his career, but a total of three times throughout the bout, but earned the bout unanimously by out boxing a fading McCline.
After past postponements from Team Maskaev, Peter would get another chance at a title shot and earned it rightfully so by defeating Oleg via sixth round TKO.
All was well for the newly crowned champ but after seven months of toting the title, Peter was soundly beaten down by the former champ Vitali Klitschko, not answering the bell in the ninth gave Klitschko not only the title, but handed down Peter’s first loss via stoppage, his second loss to a Klitschko.
In search of getting back to another title shot, a much heavier Samuel Peter took on the crafty Eddie Chambers, and all though lost the bout via majority decision, was hands down defeated by a much faster more precise Chambers.
All that gets us to this point and time, would you bet your hard earned cash on Peter becoming a two time heavyweight titlist?
Peter, who is now with a new promoter, Top Rank, will be stepping back in the ring this Saturday night to take on journeyman Marcus McGee 22-16 (11). McGee is the perfect opponent for Peter to get back in the win column. All though McGee has went the distance in losing efforts against the likes of Michael Grant, Jameel McCline and Malik Scott, and offers up some experience, he has never beaten any fighter of substance. And I doubt we will see it now against Peter.
So, Peter gets a win under his belt, where from there?
Peter is still ranked in two of the four sanctioning bodies, so a title shot could be in the future. But who of the three title holders would Peter beat? He has already been beaten by both Klitschko's, not to say he could not earn a W in the rematch, but that remains to be seen. The WBA title is held up with the debacle of Valuev, Chagaev, and now Haye may be fighting Valuev for that title. So basically it would appear that Peter would have to fight another top fighter in an eliminator.
And it would seem he would or should be able to garner a win over a few of the top contenders, but as far as seeing, getting or actually winning another title? It is hard to fathom at this point.
Somebody out there is banking on Peter getting another title shot, Bob Arum believed enough to sign him. Peter seemingly never seems low on self esteem, has to believe he can get another shot, or at least cash in trying. And there are still those Samuel Peter fans that have faith in the “Nigerian Nightmare”.
All though I feel he can win a few and wreak a little havoc on the young up and comers in the top fifteen, as far as being a two time heavyweight champion, I would not wager on it.
Would you?
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