LOS ANGELES (AP) Lucas Matthysse fought his way out of Argentine club shows and into North America's biggest rings over the past decade, building a reputation among smart boxing fans as an unmissable brawler with a dramatic flair.
Matthysse seems long overdue to wear a world title belt for the first time in his ascendant career. The fighter known as La Maquina can do it Saturday night when he meets Viktor Postol in the famed outdoor ring in Carson, California.
''I'm very happy that I'm finally going to be fighting for a world title,'' Matthysse said. ''We had to wait a long time. I'm at a great moment in my career now, and I want to keep it going.''
The WBC super lightweight belt is on the line for Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) and Postol (27-0, 11 KOs), the Freddie Roach-trained Ukrainian with his own reputation to polish. Danny Garcia, who beat Matthysse in 2013 to win the same WBC 140-pound belt, has moved up to welterweight and vacated his title, leaving it to Matthysse and Postol, long the mandatory challenger.
Matthysse has stopped eight of his last 10 opponents in violent fashion. His knockout power and relentless style have won many fans, but hasn't yet turned him into an irresistible attraction for the sport's big-name opponents. He still dreams of a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao, but remains focused first on winning a title belt in this HBO showcase.
Matthysse still loves a good fistfight, but the Argentine showed surprisingly sharp boxing skills in his majority decision victory over Siberian slugger Ruslan Provodnikov earlier this year. Matthysse insists he will look for a knockout, and his history backs him: Not one of his 14 victories since 2008 had gone the distance until he both boxed and brawled his way past Provodnikov.
''It's the mentality of a warrior,'' Matthysse said. ''I like to look for a fight. I go forward, and I don't back up. It sounds simple, but that's what it is. When I'm not fighting or training, I get bored. I recover very quickly from fights, so I like to fight a lot.''
Matthysse will need his skills and his courage against Postol, who is at least 4 inches taller. His superior reach could be a key to keeping his perfect record intact.
''I have all the experience now that people will underestimate,'' Postol said. ''I never had a doubt this fight would happen, no matter how long it took. I know I can become a world champion.''
If Matthysse wins and looks sharp, he will keep his spot among the world's most exciting fighters. A fight with Pacquiao still could happen in the near future, although Pacquiao is negotiating with Amir Khan for his comeback bout early next year.
With a dramatic knockout on HBO, Matthysse could take a page from Gennady Golovkin's career playbook by making himself impossible to ignore.
''After the third, fourth round, I can see it being a brawl,'' said Oscar De La Hoya, Matthysse's promoter. ''I can see Lucas Matthysse having to chase down Postol and do some damage. When have you ever seen a boring Lucas Matthysse fight? It's going to be a fun, action-packed fight.''
