There is a widely popular and very revealing video that has been circulating around the boxing world on YouTube that shows two 165 pound amateur fighters going toe-to-toe against one another at the 2009 National Golden Gloves in Salt Lake City, Utah. The two boxers involved in the bout are Brooklyn’s own meteoric rising star Travis “The Notorious” Peterkin (7-0/4 KOs) and Mayweather camp upstart Luis “Cuba” Arias (5-0/3 KOs), who just came off a controversial gift decision against Donyil Livingston (8-3-1/4 KOs) in a clear-cut robbery on the undercard of the Mayweather, Jr. (44-0/26 KOs) versus Guerrero (31-2-1/18 KOs) card at the MGM Grand on May 4, 2013. The reason that this video is so relevant to the boxing landscape and to both Arias and Peterkin’s careers as top professional prospects is because it shows how easily Peterkin handled Arias in the ring 4 years ago and got completely robbed while doing it, a pattern that seems to be a growing trend in Arias fights.
Travis Peterkin can easily be considered one of the most robbed fighters during his amateur career when he faced off against Luis Arias in the Golden Gloves. Upon watching the video of the two boxers, viewers will clearly see that Peterkin won hands down but was shortchanged by the decision. There was a second video also, because both boxers fought again in 2010, but USA Boxing prevented the video from being released. Arias got exposed when he fought Peterkin, rocked several times during the fight and even tasting the canvas twice. From the opening round, Travis shoots a solid jab straight down the middle, throws hard hooks and maintains proper distance. Peterkin snaps Luis’ head back on more than one occasion. A heated contest unfolded with the Brooklyn native giving far more than he got, but in the end all of his strength, hand speed, and combinations were ignored and tossed aside as the wrong boxer, Arias, received the nod unjustly. To see the truth about what really happened check out the link below.
While Arias is being sold to the public as the next big thing with Mayweather Promotions, with a strong emphasis on being sold, Peterkin is only working that much harder in the gym, earning his stripes still while legitimately proving his worth in the ring as a dedicated and to-be-feared fighter. Peterkin is coming for Arias like he did back when they fought in 2009 and their rivalry should and will extend into the professional ranks over the next few years, as each man builds up his own experience and record that much more, culminating in another ring war with Travis getting the opportunity to right a wrong their third time around. Peterkin has been in the fight game since he was 11 years old, and compiled an impressive amateur record of 95-7. At 22 years old, the Light Heavyweight Brownsville fighter has a promising career ahead of him as he looks forward to potential big name fights and an eventual retribution rematch with Luis Arias.
Just as Arias had the referee on his side during his contest with Livingston, the same case could be made in his Golden Gloves fight with Peterkin. Fans saw what they saw and the public knows the truth, let us all only hope that Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, who Travis is signed with, can chop it up at the negotiation table and get things going already. There is no better time than now for this fight to happen and with Arias getting PPV over-exposure and overtly false recognition for winning another suspect bout over a cheated Donyil Livingston, in a scrap that he visibly lost, it makes the most sense right now to give Travis Peterkin those very same opportunities to show the world that not only was Arias beatable and protected back in 2009, but that he still is to this day. And Peterkin is the fighter to do it.
Poor decisions and favors are sadly to be expected in boxing in both the amateur and professional ranks. Those in control tend to shift things in their favor when they spot a potential cash cow or marketable prospect, often leaving the true victors and those far more deserving holding the bag and losing contestable decisions and one-sided fights that should have without a doubt been called the other way. The name of Travis “The Notorious” Peterkin is not one that Luis “Cuba” Arias will easily forget, as his bout with Livingston had memories and hints of his skin-of-his-teeth win over Travis. Livingston fought beyond well and controlled the tempo while Arias looked confused and tired, having no real answer for Donyil’s advances. The same thing happened with Luis against Travis and it is only a matter of time before Arias has to face his fears once more in Peterkin.
So in this being the next major fight that fans should want and need to see, this article serves as a direct message to both Lou DiBella and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to make this clash happen. Settle the score once and for all and show the world who the next true great Light Heavyweight is in boxing, instead of hyping up a good fighter that gets gift decisions in Las Vegas. Let him prove to everyone out there and more importantly to himself that he deserves to be in the spot that he’s in right now. The boxing press must pick up on this story and what transpired between Peterkin and Arias, as well as the mugging of Livingston. Forget about your egos for a minute and how self-important you and your words are and do boxing a real solid in light of an injustice. Find out more about Travis Peterkin and his incredible skills in the ring. Look at what you are trying to be sold on as legitimate victories and fights. Question why the public is being fooled into believing in bouts and wins that should have never taken place to begin with. Try and be honest for once and give a boxer a fair shake during his career rather than use the opportunity to make yourselves look better. Boxing still and always will be about its fighters. Peterkin is one of these fighters.
Luis “Cuba” Arias may have gotten a recent donation decision over a powerful and dynamically sound boxer in Donyil Livingston, due more to politics than him actually winning the fight, but Travis “Notorious” Peterkin is still awaiting his chance at redemption and the occasion to expose Arias once more. Memories can be haunting and Peterkin is coming for you Arias. You’d better be ready.
Jason Petock responds to all his emails. Please send all questions and comments to Jason at: boxingwarrior@hotmail.com
