NEW YORK – Barry Hunter, the long-time trainer of IBF junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson, tells RingTV.com that Peterson has been joined in training camp by WBC lightweight titleholder Adrien Broner and bantamweight prospect Rau’shee Warren in Peterson’s hometown of Washington D.C.

Peterson (31-1-1, 16 knockouts) is currently preparing to face Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KOs) on May 18 in Atlantic City, while Broner (26-0, 22 KOs) of Cincinnati, Ohio, is getting ready to face WBA welterweight titleholder Paul Malignaggi (32-4, 7 KOs) in Brooklyn on June 22.

Hunter says that Broner and Peterson have a long history training together, dating back to when Broner first turned professional in 2008.

“When Adrien first turned pro, Lamont helped him out a lot, showed him the tricks of the trade,” said Hunter, who is in New York preparing to lead Fernando Guerrero into his WBO middleweight title challenge against Peter Quillin this Saturday.

“Adrien will tell everybody, every time he came to D.C. to train, after he went back to fight, it was over in the first round every time.”

Hunter concedes that the clash between Peterson, who is THE RING’s No. 3 contender at 140 pounds, and the No. 1-rated Matthysse looks to be a test of wills between two of the toughest fighters in the junior welterweight division. I’m definitely looking forward to Lucas,” said Hunter. “It’s not going to be a cake walk, to me they’re the two top 140 pounders. I think this will be a very fan friendly fight.”

Hunter credits Peterson’s progression and rededication to the sport following his lone defeat to Timothy Bradley in 2009 with making him the fighter he is today.

“The best thing that ever happened to us was the Timothy Bradley fight,” said Hunter. “It kinda brought us back down and made us understand that, I don’t care how you get there, whatever it took to get there, you gotta keep doing it. Can’t abandon that. Since that fight, you think of some of the fights that he’s been in and that he’s had, totally different fighter.”