The much-anticipated rematch between Lamont Peterson and British boxer Amir Khan has been canceled after the American failed a drug test, Golden Boy Promotions announced on Wednesday.
Peterson and Khan had been due to fight on May 19 in Las Vegas, after the American took the WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles in December last year in a controversial split decision.
However, Golden Boy said Peterson’s failed drug test — reports said he tested positive for synthetic testosterone — combined with the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s inability to hold a hearing in time led to the fight’s demise.
Photo: Reuters
“A failed pre-fight drug test administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association [VADA)] coupled with the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s legal inability to hold a formal hearing on the matter of licensing Lamont Peterson .... has forced the cancellation of the event,” Golden Boy said in a statement.
Khan reacted strongly to the news, putting the blame squarely on Peterson’s shoulders.
“The fight is off! sorry everyone the only person to blame is @kingpete26 I’ll be looking for an opponent to fight June 30,” he said on Twitter.
Both Khan and Peterson had agreed to random testing by VADA ahead of the rematch.
Peterson won their first bout in Washington by a score of 113-112 on two judges’ scorecards, while the other had Khan a 115-110 winner.
Following the fight, the British boxer — who won an Olympic silver as a 17-year-old in 2004 — claimed a “hometown decision” had robbed him of victory. The World Boxing Association ordered a rematch, saying it should take place within 180 days.
Referee Joe Cooper unfairly deducted two points off Khan’s scores during the fight for excessive pushing, and also failed to give Khan credit for a knockdown in the first round, the WBA said.
BOUNCING BACK: Antetokounmpo had just returned from an eight-game injury absence last month, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their third win in four games Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down the game-winning dunk with 4.7 seconds remaining to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to a 122-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets and grab a slice of NBA history on Friday. The Bucks trailed by as many as 16 on their home floor, but Antetokounmpo scored 12 of his 30 points in the final quarter to help seal the win in a frantic finish that saw five lead changes in the final 45.7 seconds. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) added 10 rebounds and five assists. It was his 158th regular-season game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and
For the first time in almost 36 years, a Parisian derby will be played in French soccer’s top flight when reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain FC take on the nouveau riche Paris Football Club (PFC) today. Not one of the players involved in today’s match — PFC’s 38-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Remy Riou is almost certainly not going to be involved — was born the last time there was a Parisian derby in Ligue 1. That was on Feb. 25, 1990, when Moroccan midfielder Aziz Bouderbala scored a brace as Racing Paris 1 beat PSG 2-1 at the Parc des Princes home that
Stan Wawrinka’s 40-year-old legs did not let him down over three-plus hours in his first singles match of a farewell tour yesterday. Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Wawrinka beat Arthur Rinderknech of France, who is ranked 29th to Wawrinka’s 157th, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). The match went 3 hours, 16 minutes. Wawrinka last month announced that this year would be his last on the ATP tour. “Today was a tough battle ... it’s amazing to come here for the first time, to have so much support,” Wawrinka said yesterday. “Twenty years on tour, you kind of always play in the same place
Manchester City have confirmed defender Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Gvardiol was one of two City centerbacks who went off injured in the second half, along with Ruben Dias, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time equalizer for the visitors. The draw left second-placed City six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal. City, announcing Gvardiol sustained a tibial fracture to his right leg, added in a statement issued on Monday: “The defender will have surgery later this week and assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the
RSS