WBA Boxing

Amir Khan will have the opportunity to regain the WBA (Super) and IBF Light Welterweight titles that once belonged to him, just not against Lamont Peterson.

According to ESPN boxing buff Dan Rafael, Peterson has officially been pulled from the rematch after testing positive in March for a banned substance believed to be synthetic testosterone.

Peterson-Khan 2 has officially been canceled, according to Richard Schaefer. #boxing @HBOboxing @GoldenBoyBoxing @AmirKingKhan @kingpete26

— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) May 9, 2012

The failed drug test prompted the Nevada Athletic Commission to deny Peterson the boxing license he needed for the fight against Khan, which was slated for May 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Peterson, will not seek a special appeals hearing on the matter.

As a result, Khan has postponed his return to the ring until June 30, for which he has yet to determine an opponent.

The fight is off! sorry everyone the only person to blame is @kingpete26 I'll be looking for a opponent to fight June 30th

— Amir Khan (@AmirKingKhan) May 9, 2012

Khan lost his belts to Peterson by split decision in Washington, D.C. Back in December. The Guardian reported that Peterson tested positive for elevated testosterone levels before that fight as well.

Peterson's camp claims that the failed tests were the result of soy pellet injections intended as treatment for the fighter's abnormally low testosterone levels and the resulting physical and mental fatigue.

Jeff Fried, Peterson's lawyer, suggested that his client "inadvertently" forgot to include any mention of the treatment on his application to the Nevada commission and the Volunteer Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).

This, despite the drug tests coming at Peterson's own behest.

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Late Monday evening, news broke out that unified WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) tested positive for synthetic testosterone in a March drug test. This now puts his past performance into question and his career on hold.

It would now seem that one of the worst possible outcomes from this is happening: the fight has been cancelled. 

Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy chief, stated that the rematch was up in the air and would go on if allowed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It seems, though, that Peterson won't be allowed to fight as his license was taken away due to his positive test. He's no longer a licensed boxer in the state of Nevada and can therefore not fight May 19th.

Amir Khan later confirmed this on his Twitter feed, stating:

The fight is off! sorry everyone the only person to blame is @kingpete26 I'll be looking for a opponent to fight June 30th

—Amir Khan ‏ (@AmirKingKhan)

Lamont Peterson and his team already put in a statement to challenge the ruling, but it seems unlikely that Peterson will get his license in time to fight. This is a huge blow to the sport as a boxer is busted for using a banned substance, strengthening the call for improved testing.

Team Khan is currently searching for a replacement for June 9th and names thrown around include Marcos Maidana, Miguel Vasquez, Joan Deguzman and Devon Alexander.

Now, people who've already bought their tickets, airfare and hotel will be cheated out of their pockets for Peterson's mistake. 

Lamont's mistake not only hurt his career, but also the pockets of the promoter and the fans.

Early yesterday evening, shocking news broke out that current unified IBF and WBA junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1 15 KOs) tested positive in a VADA test for synthetic testosterone, a banned substance.

Peterson won both belts from Amir Khan (26-2 18KOs) in a controversial decision last December in Washington D.C.

The rematch is now in danger of being cancelled due to Peterson losing his licence to fight in the state of Nevada. Richard Schaefer said that the rematch is still on for now, but anything could happen from now to next week.

Several opponents have been rumored to take Peterson's spot if the fight officially falls apart, such as IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vasquez and welterweight journeyman Carson Jones.

Shortly after the news broke, Peterson's team started damage control to try and make a clear explanation as to why this happened, and wrote a letter to the NSAC explaining why Peterson tested positive.

Lance Pugmire, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, recently revealed, via Twitter, some of the details in the letter. Here are some tweets about its contents:

"Lance Pugmire ‏ @latimespugmire
Lamont Peterson needed the testosterone because he had a "substantial testosterone insuffiency," his attorney tells Nevada commission."

"Lance Pugmire ‏ @latimespugmire
Letter says Peterson told this to tester VADA, a point that appears to be in dispute. "It may have been an approved exemption," letter says."

"Lance Pugmire ‏ @latimespugmire
Any failure to communicate this insufficiency to VADA, Peterson attorney says, was "absolutely inadvertent." "

"Chris Mannix ‏ @ChrisMannixSI
People close to Lamont Peterson insist his testosterone deficiency is legit and that any miscommunication with VADA was inadvertent."

Basically, the reason that Peterson's team gave to the NSAC is that Peterson has a testosterone deficiency and he took it for medical reasons. This explains earlier tweets where Peterson's team said that they were working with doctors to clear his name:

"Steve Kim ‏ @stevemaxboxing
That while they respect VADA and their efforts and the NSAC, they are working with doctors and other experts to clear Lamont's name #boxing"

So, the reason for Peterson's use is out and all that's left is to see if the fight will still go on or if it will be cancelled amid the controversy.

Last night, shocking news rocked the boxing world when word got out that Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Peterson edged out Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KOs) for his WBA and IBF junior welterweight titles earlier this year amid controversy of a hometown decision and unfair point deductions.

This threw the rematch into the pits as there was no real certainty about whether or not the fight would still take place next week. While Peterson's team was answering questions for the drug tests, Golden Boy Promotions was scrambling to find a possible replacement for Peterson.

One fighter who was tabbed to replace Peterson was welterweight journeyman Carson Jones (34-8-2), who despite only being 25 has had over 40 fights already.

They targeted him because he's accustomed to close fight dates, doesn't shy away from a challenge and the fight serves as Khan's welterweight debut. Jones' last fight was only a few weeks ago on April 26 against Allen Conyers, the man who shocked former undefeated prospect James De La Rosa. 

The only issue here is that this isn't a worthy fight for the venue that they booked it for. Thousands of people already booked their flights, rented their hotels and bought their fight tickets to see Peterson vs. Khan. The outrage would be enormous if they brought in Carson Jones to fight Khan last minute.

This doesn't seem to be the issue now as earlier today, Richard Schaefer announced that the fight between Khan and Peterson would still take place.

It appears that Schaefer is giving team Peterson the benefit of the doubt, because even though Peterson tested positive for samples taken in April, another test taken shortly after yielded negative. Peterson's team is dead set on proving that this isn't intentional and Peterson isn't at fault.

For now, we have a rematch, but anything can happen in the next 11 days.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is the fight to end all fights. However, if the potential matchup ever comes to fruition, "Money" Mayweather will have to reexamine what's in a name. 

After Mayweather vs. Cotto was officially in the books, the flamboyant victor implied that Manny Pacquiao should have been in the opposing corner on May 5. After Larry Merchant inquired about Mayweather's unwavering stance on a 60/40 purse split, Floyd replied:

"Like I said before, I've been trying to make the Pacquiao fight. I mean, Miguel Cotto didn't have a problem taking the random blood and urine test, so why should [Pacquiao]? If you the best, take the test. And let's give the fans what they want to see: Mayweather/Pacquiao."

Mayweather's swift deflection of the question says one thing: he's not ready to budge on the lopsided purse split. 

Floyd's whole-hearted disdain for Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, is boxing's worst-kept secret. 

Outside of the ring, Arum—who was also Mayweather's promoter during his climb to fame—is just as hard-headed as "Pretty Boy" Floyd. He stands firm in his protest of the uneven split, citing that Pacquiao is just as appealing of a draw as Mayweather himself. 

This is where the schism occurs. 

Much to Bob Arum's chagrin, numbers never lie. 

A Nevada State Athletic Commission document (BoxingSocialist.com) reveals that Manny Pacquiao's last fight, against Shane Mosley, earned the proud Filipino $6 million. In fact, his earnings actually declined. Pacquiao's highest earnings derived from his bouts with Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton—both respectively paying out $7.4 million. 

In stark contrast, Floyd Mayweather's numbers are rapidly increasing, as tweeted by ESPN's Dan Rafael: 

Congrats to @FloydMayweather. The $32M guarantee on his Nevada contract for Saturday's fight is the biggest purse guarantee in history.

— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) May 4, 2012

Which fight held the previous record? Mike Tyson's rematch against Evander Holyfield, following the notorious ear-biting incident.

According to the Boston Herald's Dan Borges, Miguel Cotto raked in a guaranteed $8 million by lacing up his gloves against Mayweather.

It doesn't take a mathematician to conclude that Floyd Mayweather's opponents are cashing in larger guaranteed paychecks than Manny Pacquiao is while headlining. 

If this fight transcends beyond the field of dreams, somebody's solidified stance will be forced to falter.

On paper, Mayweather makes a justifiable case.

However, it takes two to tango.

"Money" talks, but Manny Pacquiao is singing a different tune.

Amir Khan was supposed to fight Lamont Peterson in a rematch for his WBA and IBF belt that he lost last December in a controversial split decision next week on May 19th.

The fight was going according to plan. Both men promoted the fight well, both were training hard in camp and both were ready to go to war to dispel any doubts of who the real winner was in their last fight.

Everything was running smoothly until earlier today, rumor broke out that there might not be a fight anymore. The Sun ran an article that said the fight could possibly be off. It didn't have any information as to why, but said that a source close to Khan said it could be announced soon that the fight was off.

From that, there was speculation that maybe one of the fighters tested positive during the drug-testing phase.

I personally didn't take much consideration into this as it didn't seem very reliable. That soon changed as the boxing community exploded on this topic and the possibility of Peterson cheating on purpose.

A few hours later, though, Gabe Montoya of Maxboxing.com, who usually cites credible information on boxing, posted via Twitter that Lamont Peterson has tested positive under VADA for a banned substance. Here are a couple of tweets he posted when he first broke the news:

"Gabriel Montoya™ ‏ @Gabriel_Montoya
I'm told by reliable sources that Lamont Peterson has tested positive for a banned substance. #boxing #boxeo"

"Gabriel Montoya™ ‏ @Gabriel_Montoya
Looking at the @Vada_Testing website, Peterson's name and bio/profile have been removed. Is there a connection? #boxing"

This is huge as it now puts Peterson's first win over Khan into question. At this point, though, he was tested for a banned substance, which can be multiple things like steroids, diuretics or even Marijuana. 

Everything seems to be one big mess now as Team Peterson scrambles to prove that their man isn't a cheater. Steve Kim posted via Twitter Team Peterson's statement on the matter. This just proves that what was once a rumor is now fact and Peterson did test positive for something, but they feel that Peterson isn't at fault:

"Steve Kim ‏ @stevemaxboxing
Ok, just got off the phone with a Peterson spokesperson who gave me a statement, to paraphrase what he said.... #boxing"

"Steve Kim ‏ @stevemaxboxing
That while they respect VADA and their efforts and the NSAC, they are working with doctors and other experts to clear Lamont's name #boxing"

"Steve Kim ‏ @stevemaxboxing
Team Peterson plans on submitting medical findings by the close of business on Tue that will support their claims..."

Dan Rafael of ESPN later joined in on the action by posting more statements from Peterson's lawyer. It turns out that they are doing everything possible to clear Peterson's name and make sure that the fight next week isn't in danger of being canceled. 

"Dan Rafael ‏ @danrafaelespn

Statement from Peterson lawyer:'We are working expeditiously with a team of pathologists and (more)"

"Dan Rafael ‏ @danrafaelespn

other medical specialists to confirm the origin of the test result.' -- Peterson lawyer. It is unclear how this impacts the Khan rematch.
Expand"

As speculation continued to float around as what it could be, Steve Carp (Las Vegas Review-Journal), was the first to come out and say that the VADA had Peterson testing positive for synthetic testosterone from a test back in March.

"Steve Carp ‏ @stevecarprj

Peterson was found to have synthetic testosterone in his system according to tests conducted by VADA in March."

This shows that this is the possible reason as to why the VADA dropped Peterson from its client list, as quoted in an earlier tweet.

So as things stand now, everything is in shambles for not only the rematch fight but the credibility of Peterson as a fighter.

On May 5th, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KOs) put his undefeated record on the line when he battled against Miguel Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs) for his WBA and the vacant WBC diamond junior middleweight belt.

Mayweather put on a fantastic performance against Cotto by evading Cotto's pressure and attacking with pinpoint accuracy when he saw an opening. Cotto was no slouch though as he roughed Mayweather up with his jab and combinations on the ropes.

Cotto would fall short though as Mayweather clearly won the fight. 

With that out of the way, the comparisons between how Mayweather did against Cotto and how Manny Pacquiao did against Cotto is what people will be looking for now.

First, a look at the total punch stats for each fighter:

Pacquiao vs. Cotto

Pacquiao

Total Punches: 336/780 (43 percent)
Jabs: 60/220 (27 percent)
Power Punches: 276/560 (49 percent)

Cotto

Total Punches: 172/597 (29 percent)
Jabs: 79/297 (27 percent)
Power Punches: 93/300 (31 percent)

Mayweather vs. Cotto

Mayweather

Total Punches: 179/687 (26 percent)
Jabs: 51/305 (17 percent)
Power Punches: 128/382 (34 percent)

Cotto

Total Punches: 105/506 (21 percent)
Jabs: 30/177 (17 percent)
Power Punches: 75/329 (23 percent)

From these numbers, Pacquiao looked amazing in his match with Cotto compared to Mayweather. On paper, Pacquiao dominated Cotto in every sense of the word with two knockdowns and a knockout in the 12th. 

Pacquiao landed a far greater amount of punches on Cotto (336 to Mayweather's 179) at a higher percentage than Mayweather did as well.

Where Mayweather beat Pacquiao was in his defense as Pacquiao was hit more than Mayweather was.

This is all on paper though, and paper always looks more impressive than what actually happened.

Yesterday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0 26KOs) went to war with Miguel Cotto (37-3 30KOs) in one of the biggest fights of the year.

Mayweather was really put to work as Miguel Cotto was unrelenting with his attacks and was even able to damage Mayweather.

In the early rounds, Mayweather was bleeding from his nose and mouth. He continued to bleed throughout the whole fight thanks to Cotto's jab.

It was an impressive performance by both men: Mayweather with his pin point accuracy and defense and Cotto with his pressure on the ropes. It was an exciting night with 12 rounds of nonstop action that kept the crowd excited throughout.

In the end, Mayweather was decisive in his victory and won a very competitive but unanimous decision with scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 118-110 from the judges.

Even though Mayweather was the only person to walk away with a win on his record, both men were winners in the ring last night.

Both men earned their highest-ever career purses for the fight.

Mayweather walked away with a record high $32 million guaranteed purse while Cotto was given an $8 million guaranteed purse.

The guaranteed money is impressive considering it doesn't include the Pay-Per-View money both are set to make later on.

At 35, Mayweather is still an impressive figure. He looked bigger than Cotto in the ring come fight night. He showed that his skills are still intact, his speed is still there and he still has the power to hurt people.

Cotto was an absolute warrior who's stock did nothing but rise.

He showed that he isn't damaged goods and can compete with the best in the boxing world. Should Cotto continue to fight, there's no doubt that the big money fights and high profile fights will still be there for him.

He showed the world that Mayweather could get hurt and may even be beatable.

May 5th was the biggest, high-profile event in boxing so far this year.

While it probably won win Fight of the Year awards (that is reserved for Salido/Lopez 2 so far), it will be memorable among casual and hardcore boxing fans alike.

Cotto and Mayweather deserve all the props in the world because they went out and gave the fans a show that was well worth the PPV price.

Yesterday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0 26KOs) was able to duke it out with Miguel Cotto (37-3 30KOs) to win a competitive, but clear unanimous decision for the WBA and WBC Diamond junior middleweight belt.

While some may be surprised that the fight went the full 12 rounds and active throughout, this was pretty much how I expected it to go.

I said there were three things that was almost certain would happen in this fight. First is that it would be a close fight. Next I said that it would be competitive throughout and not a blowout like a lot of people have been saying. Finally, Mayweather would not KO Cotto in the fight.

Personally, my prediction was Cotto taking a split-decision victory due to his new trainer, Pedro Diaz, in his corner. I had thought that body work, size and trapping on the ropes would work in his favor. He had success there sometimes, but not enough to turn the tide in his favor.

One of the reasons why this fight was competitive was because Cotto was able to back Floyd into the ropes, where he put together some combinations that bloodied Mayweather and gave him a little trouble. This was possible due to Cotto being able to use his jab, but Mayweather was also able to counter with some crisp uppercuts that, despite hitting Cotto, didn't make him stop wanting to come forward.

Another is he was actually able to hurt Mayweather. Mayweather can shake his head and smile as much as he wants after getting hit, but his bloodied nose and mouth tell a different story. When Cotto pinned him against the ropes, he was doing damage to Mayweather when he landed. It was a jab that started the bleeding from the nose and it was the jab that kept it bleeding.

Finally, Cotto was relentless. He didn't let Mayweather's pinpoint accuracy stop him from attacking and throwing punches. He was willing to do anything to land his gloves on Mayweather, and that made the fight even more competitive and entertaining.

Despite losing, Cotto put on a great performance and has nothing to be ashamed of. Despite only one man being able to take the win on their record, both men won by looking great in the ring.

Already, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is being called the best boxer in history. With a defeat of Miguel Cotto on Saturday—nearly a guarantee—he can just solidify that claim.

The suspense for this fight has been building for months, ever since December, when a Las Vegas-area judge agreed to postpone Mayweather's jail sentence stemming from a domestic abuse charge so that he could fight Cotto on Cinco de Mayo. Though, perhaps, suspense isn't the right word, since no one is really expecting Cotto to threaten Mayweather's undefeated record in any way.

This fight is more like a rite of passage for Mayweather, a chance for him to further establish himself as the greatest.

One might think that the lack of respect would faze Cotto—that he'd be peeved or self-righteous—but he is just as certain of a victory as Mayweather is. He told the Associated Press, "I don't need anyone else giving me a chance. If I can trust in myself, I don't need anyone else believing in me."

The relentlessness on the part of both fighters will only make what could have been a no-contest matchup all the more exciting.

Mayweather has never been beaten in 42 professional fights. He is the main attraction each and every time he steps into the ring. He fears no one and has unwavering faith in himself, in his abilities.

There is unbelievable pressure surrounding him on Saturday night, not only because of his looming jail sentence. When you've won 42 in a row, it's hard not to think about if—or when—the other shoe is going to drop.

But the reason he wins is because he doesn't think about that; instead, he focuses. For him, Saturday is just another day at the office, another day in the ring. He told the AP, "When I get in the ring it's like, here we go again, it's just another day. I've got so much experience I can go to him if I want. I know when a fighter is starting to wear down and he will wear down."

Cotto may exhibit an equally compelling confidence, but the odds are decidedly against him. He's fighting for just the fourth time at 154 pounds. Most likely, he'll prove to be too slow for Mayweather. At the end of the night, he could just be another piece in Mayweather's illustrious history.

Fans want to make sure they get their money's worth from a fight that is being heralded as a mismatch, but no matter the outcome—no matter how it goes down—they will. They will see Mayweather become the greatest boxer in the sport, and it doesn't get much better than that.