On March 14 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino top rated junior lightweight contender Robbie ‘Bomber’ Peden scored a spectacular one punch knockout when he iced anvil-fisted Floridian Nate ‘Galaxy Warrior’ Campbell with a sizzling left hook in the fifth round to secure the number one position in the IBF rankings.
Up until the knockout the fight was a closely contested battle that saw Peden trailing slightly on the scorecards going into the fifth round. The end came in dramatic fashion when Campbell, sensing he had Peden hurt, showed contempt for his opponent by dropping his hands and sticking out his chin. It was a move that Campbell will regret for years to come as Peden took full advantage of the opportunity and ended proceedings in devastating style.
"I felt that I won the first three rounds fairly comfortably," explained the teak-tough Atlanta Olympian. "He won the fourth big and was winning the fifth until he got laid out. He hurt me with one decent body shot, but if you watch the tape you will see I recovered almost immediately and came back into the fight… but the body shot that he did hit me with was nice. It hit me right in the sweet spot but if you know me, it’s going to take more than one shot to put me down.”
Peden admits that he drifted from the game plan devised by his trainer Roger Bloodworth but believes that his extensive amateur experience made the difference in the end.
“My coach set a few plans out for me depending on the different situations that I could be put in,” said Peden. “The first one was to box as we had noticed that Campbell had trouble with these types of boxers. I must admit I got away from the game plan and decided to bang it out a little more than we had wanted to. But of course I said before the fight that my amateur experience would be the difference. Anyone who had been in with the top amateurs in the world knew not to give anything away for free and that was the difference.”
When Peden turned professional in 1996 he vowed to win a world title in the States and return to Australia to defend it. Regardless of any setbacks he has suffered along the way, Peden has remained resolute in his conviction and it is this staunch attitude that has seen him succeed when the odds have seemingly been stacked against him. This approach has paid dividends for the Brisbane-born boxer-puncher who spars with world champions and top ten contenders on a regular basis and enjoys a much higher profile than he would if he fought out of homeland.
“My dream was to win a world title abroad by doing it my way and then defend it back in Australia," said Peden. "That is what I set myself to do nearly eight years ago. I am almost there but until I do that, I don’t think people can respect or understand what I have accomplished.”
Respect is a common word in Peden's vocabulary. The mutual admiration between Peden and current IBF champion Carlos ‘Famoso’ Hernandez is refreshing in a sport that is all too often marred by verbal tirades and out of the ring indiscretions.
“Carlos is not only the IBF world champion but he is a champion person as well,” enthused Peden. “He was one of the first people to call me to congratulate me on my victory. I would be honored to fight him for the title and if I had my choice, we would be fighting next week. But you know the boxing business; I have been waiting for my opportunity and hopefully it comes sooner rather than later.”
With Hernandez reportedly set to unify his belt with three division champion and current WBC title holder Eric ‘El Terrible’ Morales, it looks like Peden may have to wait a little longer before he gets the opportunity to realize his dream of fighting for a world title.
“I will just have to wait and see what happens," said Peden. "I feel that I deserve my shot. Carlos told me I deserved my shot so I don’t see what is stopping it. I am just happy that I have been fortunate enough to test myself against the best in the world."
If a fight with Hernandez doesn't come to fruition, Peden has not ruled out a move northward to campaign in his third weight division, but he stresses that the move must be on his terms.
“Moving up in weight would be a possibility but it would have to be for a title and it would have to be the right decision for myself,” explained Peden. “I could fight at 135 or 140 if I wanted to. I’m not a small 130 pounder, it just feels comfortable here but like I said, the right fight will make me move to the higher divisions.”
The talent-stacked junior lightweight division has already witnessed some explosive match-ups this year, including the much talked about rematch between Joel Casamayor and Diego Corrales, as well as Mexican hero Eric Morales' victory over one-armed bandit Jesus Chavez. Whilst these established stars enjoy the spoils of their labors, Peden firmly believes that he has earned the right to be mentioned alongside the 130 pound division's elite.
“I feel I am amongst the very best [in the division]," said Peden. "We will see when I do get my title shot. We will see if the champs want to defend against me. I have been patient! I have worked hard! I have fought tough fights to get my shot. Hopefully I will get it so I can prove how good I am."
Peden's IBF world title eliminator against Nate Campbell will be televised in Australia by Fox Sports 1 on Friday April 23 at 9pm AEST.
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© Copyrights / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Anthony Cocks (April 1, 2004)
