By Jake Donovan

While fans and boxing personalities alike continue to rave over the Fight of the Year-level war between Sergey Lipinets and Lamont Peterson over the weekend, the F1 headliner wasn’t without its casualties.

Washington D.C.’s Peterson fought in his home region for the first time in more than three year. The homecoming hardly proved joyous, as neither the fans in attendance at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. nor those throughout the D/M/V (D.C./Maryland/Virginia) area were comfortable at the sight of his being battered into submission at the end of the 10th round.

The sight of the former two-division titlist being rescued by longtime trainer, mentor and father figure Barry Hunter was as emotionally draining to watch as it was to hear Peterson announce his retirement immediately thereafter while still standing in the center of the ring.

“It’s been a long career but today is the day,” Peterson (35-5-1, 17KOs) revealed after the fight, met with mixed emotions of appreciation and sadness in-house, along with an outpouring of support on social media. “I’m thankful for the support.

“I love everyone here and I’m always going to support this area, but I’m sure it’s time for me to hang it up. I couldn’t go out in a better way here at home. This will be the last time you see me in the ring.

Even his conqueror struggled to digest the moment.

“After the fight when Peterson announced his retirement, I felt sad,” Lipinets (15-1, 11KOs) confessed to krikya360.com after registering arguably the biggest win of his career. “I feel like he still has a lot to offer to the sport and to his fans.” 

Peterson’s impact has been felt throughout his home region during his 25 years in the sport between the amateur and pro ranks. Many athletes in the area have long looked up to him as a role model both in and out of the ring, having long ago gained the reputation as a tireless gym rat whose unmatched work ethic led to his becoming a two-division titlist over the course of his 15-year pro career.

His next career path isn’t immediately known, but even the year-plus break he spent away from the ring prior to Sunday prompted thoughts of life after boxing.

Peterson spent much of the 14-month period following his stoppage loss to unbeaten welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. last January focusing on a healthier way to live his life. What he discovered more than a change in lifestyle was that he wanted to learn even more.

“I’ve been studying the body a lot, learning about nutrition and the anatomy,” Peterson noted of what resonated most during his downtime that could be best applied to his time now spent beyond the ropes. “So maybe I’ll go to college for sports nutrition. That seems to be where I’m heading, back to school.”

Given his valuable in-ring insight, there remains the hope that his aspirations of returning to the classroom can co-exist with a growing demand for his becoming a teacher.

“I actually had a dream that—and I don’t know what it means but—I had a dream that (Lamont) coached me in a world championship fight,” revealed Anthony Peterson, Lamont’s younger brother by 13 months who fought to a draw with Argenis Mendez in Sunday’s FS1 co-feature. “I don’t know what that means, but I know he’s a great teacher.

“Even when we’re in there sparring with the younger guys, he’ll point out certain things and we make that adjustment on the fly.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox