JUNIN, Argentina -- It's noontime on a Sunday as the Argentine city of Junin gets ready for a traditional siesta under a blazing midday sun. Located several hours' drive away from the city of Buenos Aires, it looks deserted and still.

One-story houses. An occasional stray dog. Complete silence.

Located a few miles from the center of town is Gomez Lagoon, where sitting among the trees and birds with only his thoughts is Lucas Martin Matthysse, interim junior welterweight titlist and, to many, one of the most exciting fighters in the world today.

Matthysse, 30, was born in Trelew, in the southern province of Chubut. His father, Mario Edgardo, was a profesional fighter who had 51 bouts, including one aganist former middleweight champion Jorge Castro. Lucas' mother, Doris, had a few amateur fights herself. And then there are his brothers and sisters: Walter (26-5-0, 1 ND, 25 KOs) fought Paul Williams and Kermit Cintron in the U.S., and Edith Soledad (9-4-1, 1 KO) recently fought in Mexico against Yazmin Rivas for a women's bantamweight title, losing on points. Additionally, Edith Soledad's husband, Mario Narvaez, is a veteran of 36 pro fights who happens to be the brother of junior bantamweight titlist Omar Narvaez.

The lineage, it seems, will continue: Walter's 14-year-old son, Ezequiel, has already made his debut as an amateur. This excites Lucas, who compares his nephew's story to his own.

"I left Trelew when my parents divorced. I started fighting at the age of 11, and my first coach was Huinca Mendez," Matthysse said. "When I left Trelew, I had already fought as an amateur when I was 14, just like my nephew. Maybe because of that I have a special affection toward him, because his story is similar to mine. I went to live in Esperanza, Santa Fe, where my dad was born. And I traveled around to other small towns, like Rafaela and Vera -- a small town where I met another guy who dreamed about becoming a boxer, like me.

"His name was Marcos, but we called him 'Chino.' Yes, it was Chino Maidana."

Although soft-spoken, Matthysse (32-2) likes to tell stories and doesn't mind opening up about himself.

"I've always been a loner, and I didn't talk much," Matthysse said. "Now I am living here, in the Posada del Sol, which is like a log cabin. I divorced a while ago. I love being alone. I always have dogs around, I like to hunt, fish and, obviously, to train. Because to me this is not a sacrifice, it's a pleasure."

Promoter Mario Arano believes Lucas Matthysse, left, would be undefeated if he hadn't been "robbed" in losses to Devon Alexander, right, and Zab Judah. Courtesy David Martin Warr

Matthysse has lived in Junin, the birthplace of legendary heavyweight contender Luis Angel Firpo, for the past eight years, since the birth of his only daughter, Priscilla Yaneisi. ("I don't even know how to spell her second name," he joked. "I heard it once in Cuba and I liked it.")

Junin is a boxing stronghold in Argentina. Matthysse trains at the Arano Box Gym, located in midtown and open exclusively for him with two rings, six heavy bags, lots of mirrors and lodging space for 12 people. That's where the fighters live, along with their sparring partners and the rest of the team: Promoter Mario Arano, Barrera, coach (and cook) Dario Fernandez, physical trainer Gerardo Pereyra, longtime doctor Edgardo Leguizamoon and Smurf Arano, Mario's brother and jack-of-all-trades in camp.

Matthysse has fought five current or former champions, knocking down all of them (including DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley's nine trips to the canvas in 2011). And according to some, including promoter Arano, Matthysse could very well be undefeated at this point: "He never really lost in the ring, because against [Zab] Judah and [Devon] Alexander, he was robbed," Arano said.

Those sketchy split-decision losses are already on the books, but Matthysse can continue to build on his spectacular recent run on Saturday when he defends against Mike Dallas Jr. (19-2-1, 8 KOs) in Las Vegas. Dallas, a former prospect, lost in each of his first two step-up bouts (against Josesito Lopez and Mauricio Herrera), although he rebounded to win both of his fights last year.