By Michael Collins: Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s), the IBF/WBA light welterweight champion, is refusing to passively accept the order from the WBA to fight an immediate rematch with Amir Khan. Peterson and his team are filing an appeal to the World Boxing Association so that they can overturn their decision.
Peterson feels that Khan and Golden Boy don’t have a case for an immediate rematch based on their excuses they gave to the WBA for the appeal.
Team Peterson said to Sky Sports “Team Peterson’s focus is on the WBA’s mandating an immediate rematch. A comprehensive written appeal has been submitted to the WBA and we are confident that the WBA will overturn it’s decision mandating an immediate rematch and recognize Lamont Peterson as the true and final WBA Jr. welterweight world champion.”
Given how quickly the WBA came up with the mandate for Peterson go give Khan a rematch, it’s likely that they’ll dismiss Peterson’s appeal and not change their order for the rematch. It’s obviously a fight that they want to see and it helps to have Khan fighting Peterson again rather than Peterson facing a lesser known fighter.
However, even if Peterson does fight Khan lose to him in the rematch, the WBA title will likely be vacated by Khan soon after that, as he plans on moving up in weight once he get the Peterson rematch over with. If he doesn’t get the rematch, then Khan will be moving up in weight even quicker.
Khan lost a 12 round split decision to Peterson on December 10th in a fight that was decided on Khan’s two point deductions for pushing. Khan and Golden Boy felt the deductions weren’t deserved and that one of the areas they listed to get the loss overturned with an appeal to the WBA and IBF. They also with a number of other areas such as the scoring of the fight, and the mystery man sitting with WBA supervisor Michael Welsh.