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When last seen in a boxing ring, Australian super featherweight Robbie Peden was being given a boxing lesson by his former employer. Challenging the man he once served as chief sparring partner for, in a bout that contested both men’s world titles, Robbie was soundly out-pointed by the superb Mexican, Marco Antonio Barrera. As such he not only failed to lift Marco’s WBC 130 pound title, he also lost his IBF world honours.
That was last September, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Now Peden is ready to give it another go.Returning to Vegas, this time The Mandalay Bay, the thirty -two year old meets the much younger Wes “Wicked” Ferguson on November 4th, in a fight held at lightweight.
Boxing on the huge Mayweather- Baldimor bill, Robbie, who won his world super featherweight title by defeating the over confident Nate Campbell in February of 2005, aims to get his career back on track with an impressive win. Opposing him will be the twenty year old Ferguson, a native of Flint, Michigan, in the United States. Trained by the accomplished Roger Mayweather, Wes will be no pushover. In fact, he’s only lost one of his sixteen fights. So what will the likely outcome be?
Peden will turn thirty-three a few days after the fight takes place, while Ferguson will be a mere twenty-one years of age later this month. Youth may well be served then. But although thirty-three is certainly an advanced age for super featherweights, Peden has not taken that much punishment throughout his, now ten year, boxing career.
The only fight in which Robbie was subject to a rough handling was in his sole inside schedule defeat, coming at the hands of the quite brilliant Juan Manuel Marquez in 2002. Providing then, that he has not gone back further than anticipated (Robbie did take a fair going over in the final few minutes with Barrera) Peden should be able to get the win. However, the younger man will be aiming to prevent that, for sure.
With world title ambitions of his own, the once stopped Ferguson will relish the opportunity to shine on such a massive show. Not a big puncher (only three men stopped in his fourteen wins) Wes is more of a smart boxer, as one would expect with a Mayweather trained fighter. But then, Peden is no banger either, although he certainly hits harder than Ferguson, as the eighth round stoppage he scored over Nate Campbell the night he became world champion proves.
Really, the match-up is a fine one, as are all the other under-card bouts that will take place beneath the main event dubbed “Pretty Risky.” What with undefeated welterweight sensation Paul Williams appearing, and a second world title fight – between recently crowned IBF featherweight king, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Orlando Salida also scheduled, the card is an excellent one. And though Peden Vs. Ferguson will more than likely be a contest that is played out in front of a half full arena, the fight has the makings of a good one.
With the American prospect, who’s ambition is still in its youthful stage, taking on the Australian, a man who wants to prove that he has ambition left. The ten round lightweight bout should tell us plenty more about what both men have to offer the top level of their sport.
