Samuel Peter: Another Lamb to the Slaughter.

In boxing, prophetic statements are no rarity. Comfort in the wake of their unraveling is harder to find. First defeats can devastate fighters. Many look to religion for solace and guidance, while others go further, illustrating that the Almighty governs their very movements and that their success is the will of God. Samuel Peter is one such individual. However, the “Nigerian Nightmare” proved to be little more than a slight murmur in a dreamless sleepwalk for Wladimir Klitschko.

HBO tailored their pursuit of Peter to suit a heavyweight era yielding greater disappointments than successes. Allowing him to drift between themselves and rival network Showtime throughout his ascent to the Klitschko showdown demonstrated that patience is indeed a virtue. We assumed that Peter’s youth and power would combine to elevate the heavyweight division above its current doldrums. But there was no grand plan to enhance Peter’s skill, to sculpt his raw materials into a more complete fighter. And as we saw against Klitschko, such neglect brought about Peter’s undoing.

Of course, defeat could prove the making of Peter as a fighter. Victory over Klitschko, arguably the finest all-round fighter in the division, would have brought Peter an HBO contract, sizable amounts of money that might have satiated whatever remained of his need to devour all on his path to greatness. The acquisition of great wealth eliminates the need to fight often, and fighting often is exactly what Peter needs. Throughout the last two years, Peter has fought overweight, relying on brute force to win. A stern assessment of himself, his place in the division, attentiveness to craftsmanship and a training regime to bring his weight down could mold Peter into a future champion.