Professional Career
In 2009, Peterson defeated Blain by 7th round TKO to win the Interim WBO Light Welterweight title. He fought Timothy Bradley for a major title in late 2009, but lost by unanimous decision.
On the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana, Lamont faced title challenger Victor Ortiz on December 11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and fought to a controversial majority draw.
Peterson defeated Amir Khan for the WBA and IBF Light Welterweight titles in Washington, DC on December 10, 2011 by split decision. There was some controversy over the refereeing, due to two point deductions against Khan for pushing Peterson off him. A rematch planned for May 19, 2012 was cancelled following Peterson's positive test for synthetic testosterone. Peterson, who had requested that Khan agree to drug screening prior to the fight, issued a statement saying that he had done nothing wrong and that his team "will vigorously pursue the truth with regards to this matter and continue to fight to protect this young man's character, credibility and all he has accomplished. Once all the facts have been reviewed we have no doubt that he will be vindicated." Peterson has said that he took synthetic testosterone as a valid treatment for a medical condition, though he did not notify the Nevada Athletic Commission. It is now unclear whether Peterson will keep hold of the WBA and IBF Light Welterweight titles as Peterson failed to come to the appeal held by Nevada Athletic Commission.
Peterson has been stripped of the WBA 140-pound title as a result of his failed pre-fight drug test. The vacant belt was on the line when Khan challenged WBC titleholder Danny Garcia on July 14 and lost via fourth round knockout. He will defend his IBF Light Welterweight title on February 22, 2013 against Kendall Holt at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Read more about this topic: Lamont Peterson
Famous quotes containing the words career and/or professional:
“John Brown’s career for the last six weeks of his life was meteor-like, flashing through the darkness in which we live. I know of nothing so miraculous in our history.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I sometimes wonder whether, in the still, sleepless hours of the night, the consciences of ... professional gossips do not stalk them. I myself believe in a final reckoning, when we shall be held accountable for our misdeeds. Do they? If so, they have cause to worry over many scoops that brought them a day’s dubious laurels and perhaps destroyed someone’s peace forever.”
—Mary Pickford (1893–1979)