Dallas Jr.: This Fight Means a Lot to Me

[Boxing Asylum]

World-rated light welterweight Mike Dallas Jr. (19-2-1, 8 KOs) is geared up for what will be the biggest and most emotional fight of his professional career as he takes on interim WBC Light Welterweight Champion Lucas Matthysse (32-2, 30 KOs) on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The upcoming fight will be a monumental one in Dallas’ career and personal life, as it will be his chance of achieving his goal of obtaining a title belt, but also his first bout since losing his father to leukemia last November.


“This fight means a lot to me,” the 26-year-old boxer said. “It’s the biggest fight I’ve had. If I win this fight, it takes me to another level.” Dallas has dedicated the bout to his late father, Mike Dallas, Sr. He has been gruelingly training with Virgil Hunter to prepare for the 30-year-old Matthysse, who has scored KOs in 30 of his 32 wins. “I’m just going to be myself and box and take advantage of openings,” said Dallas. “I’ll do what I’ve been taught to do and force him to have to make the adjustments as the fight goes on. I’m just going to be smart and fast.”

[djt117]

I was curious to see exactly how little of a chance Dallas Jr. is being given to win this fight, so a quick scan of "the internets" shows Dallas Jr. as anywhere from a 12-1 to 25-1 underdog. So split the difference and call him a 19-1 underdog if you average the odds.

Dallas is on a win streak, been working hard with Hunter (and presumably learning more), and is a good boxer with solid handspeed.

He's been knocked out before, but it was several years ago and he said his training wasn't really as hard as it should have been for that fight, so if we chalk up that KO loss to conditioning (at least in part) rather than purely chin, then if he can handle Matthysse's power, I could see a world in which he could, on his best night, outbox Matthysse to a decision.

I'm not at all saying Dallas Jr. is going to win, but I am saying I think anybody who has him at 19-1 is giving too much respect to Matthysse & too little respect to Mike Dallas Jr.

Agree?

[Whyavier]

All that makes it a great win for Lucas.