Former Super Lightweight titlist Lucas Matthysse has signed a contract extension with Golden Boy Promotions according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
“Lucas Matthysse is extremely happy with Golden Boy Promotions, and he wants to retire with us,” De La Hoya said. “I’m extremely happy that he’s a loyal fighter and person who understands the value of having a promoter on a long-term contract in order for us to keep building him and get him the fights he deserves.”
“Mario Arano is his manager, and we did a deal with his manager,” De La Hoya said. “Al Haymon is an adviser to Mario and Lucas. We went directly to his manager, and his manager and Lucas are loyal to us. We built Lucas Matthysse and got him the fights that have put him in this position, therefore he re-signed with us because he wants to continue on this path to the end of his career.”
Said Matthysse: “I am excited to continue to work with Oscar and Golden Boy Promotion. They are my family. They have supported me and built my career from the beginning and I’m loyal to them as they have been to me. I’m looking forward to my future and what 2015 has to offer.
“Lucas Matthysse will have a few more fights at 140 pounds and then he wants to go up to 147,” De La Hoya said. “We’ll continue to bring him the best fights possible. He is willing to fight anybody, unlike a lot of fighters.”
De La Hoya said he would talk to both HBO and Showtime — which both have televised Matthysse’s bouts — about his next fight.
“It all depends on who he fights. For instance, maybe we make a deal with Ruslan Provodnikov’s promoter (Banner Promotions) to do a fight,” De La Hoya said. “My understanding is Provodnikov has a first/last (contract position) with HBO. But we also have to keep in mind that Stephen Espinoza at Showtime has been showcasing Lucas Matthysse on his network, so it’s a very delicate situation. We’ll explore all options, but he’s definitely going to fight in March.”
