Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson explained

Fight Name:Capital Showdown
Fight Date:10 December 2011
Location:Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
Titles:WBA and IBF Light Welterweight championships
Fighter1: Amir Khan
Nickname1:"King Khan"
Hometown1:Bolton, Greater Manchester
Purse1:$1,100,000
Record1:26–1 (18 KO)
Height1:5 ft 8+1/2 in
Weight1:139 lb
Style1:Orthodox
Recognition1:WBA and IBF
Light Welterweight Champion
The Ring
No. 1 Ranked Light Welterweight
Fighter2: Lamont Peterson
Nickname2:"Havoc"
Hometown2:Washington, District of Columbia
Purse2:$650,000
Record2:29–1–1 (15 KO)
Height2:5 ft 9 in
Weight2:140 lb
Style2:Orthodox
Recognition2:IBF
No. 1 Ranked Light Welterweight
WBA
No. 12 Ranked Light Welterweight
The Ring
No. 6 Ranked Light Welterweight
Result:Peterson defeats Khan via split decision

Amir Khan vs Lamont Peterson, billed as Capital Showdown, was a boxing match for Khan's WBA (Super) & IBF light welterweight titles.[1] [2] The fight took place in the Convention Center in Washington, D.C., United States, on 10 December 2011. Khan was making the first defense of his IBF belt against his mandatory challenger.[3]

Background

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer announced in a conference in London to officially kick off "Capital Showdown: Khan vs. Peterson".

The tour touts an HBO-televised bout featuring WBA (Super) & IBF light welterweight champion Amir Khan of Bolton, England, in the first defense of his IBF belt against mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson of Washington, D.C., which was slated for December 10 in Peterson's home town.

Khan had won eight consecutive fights, four of them by knockout. Peterson won an IBF eliminator with a 12th-round stoppage of Victor Cayo (26-2, 18 KOs) in July, earning the organization's No. 1 contender status and the right to challenge Khan.

The fight

The fight was fought in front of a packed house at the Convention Center, with an announced audience of 8,647. After an extremely close, evenly matched fight for 12 rounds, the heavily pro-Peterson crowd was thrilled by the split decision announced in Peterson's favor. Khan scored a knockdown in the first round, but was penalized twice by referee Joe Cooper, once for excessive shoving with the forearm and later for hitting on the break. The points proved to be the difference between the two scorecards that favored Peterson.[4]

HBO's unofficial scorer Harold Lederman had Khan the winner 113–112 while ESPN had it 114–111 for Khan.

Aftermath

Controversy

After the bout Khan, complained about the referee[5] and made accusations of impropriety that the judges' scorecards had been "interfered with"[6] by a man at ringside who celebrated with Peterson after the decision. This man was later identified as Mustafa Ameen, a figure affiliated with the IBF but who had no apparent reason to be involved. Khan's camp launched an appeal with the IBF in December, principally on the grounds of "miscalculation of the scoring," and "inappropriate conduct by officials" and in January 2012, after reviewing the evidence, the WBA ordered a rematch.[7]

Despite rumours, on 3 March 2012, the WBA did not reinstate Khan as the WBA Super Light-welterweight Champion.[8]

However, on 8 May 2012, it emerged that Peterson failed a drug test, testing positive for a banned substance thought to be synthetic testosterone.[9] [10] The Nevada Athletic Commission denied Peterson a licence to box, and the fight was cancelled. The WBA reinstated Khan as champion, although the IBF did not.[11] [12]

Main card

Confirmed bouts:[13]

Televised

Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson

Untelevised

International broadcasting

align=center Countryalign=center Broadcaster
Main Event
Sport 1
Canal+
Sport 2
tvOne
Sportitalia
Astro
Sky
Geo TV
AKTV
Polsat Sport
Sport TV
Sport.ro
Al Jazeera Sports
NTV Plus
SuperSport
Sky Sports
HBO

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson . boxrec.com . BoxRec . 2 November 2024.
  2. Web site: Rosenthal . Michael . Khan-Peterson a likely done deal; Washington D.C. a possible site. Ring TV . September 16, 2011 . September 18, 2011.
  3. Web site: Mackay . William . Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson to take place in Washington, DC, says Schaefer. Boxing News 24 . September 29, 2011 . September 29, 2011.
  4. Web site: Stiff Jab — Lamont Peterson Shocks Amir Khan, Brings Pride Back to DC . 2014-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201095307/http://www.stiffjab.com/post/14052942742/lamont-peterson-shocks-amir-khan-brings-pride-back-to . 2014-02-01 . dead .
  5. News: Khan stunned by Peterson defeat. BBC News .
  6. News: Khan alleges ringside wrongdoing. BBC News .
  7. News: Khan gives WBA rematch 'reasons'. BBC News .
  8. Web site: WBA Returns Title to Amir Khan in a Strange Manuever?.
  9. News: Amir Khan's rematch with Lamont Peterson thrown into doubt after American tests positive for banned substance. Davies. Gareth. 8 May 2012. The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2012. London.
  10. Web site: Peterson tests positive for banned substance. 8 May 2012.
  11. News: Lamont Peterson-Amir Khan rematch is canceled after Peterson is denied license in light of failed drug test. Gene Wang. The Washington Post. 9 May 2012. 6 May 2019.
  12. News: Lamont Peterson retains IBF title despite failed drug test, is ordered to fight Zab Judah. Gene Wang. The Washington Post. 10 August 2012. 6 May 2019.
  13. Web site: BoxRec - event.