IBF won't strip Peterson, who must now face Judah

RingTV.com has learned that Lamont Peterson will retain the IBF junior welterweight belt he won from Amir Khan last December after a review of his medical records by IBF-appointed doctors ruled that the testosterone levels discovered in Peterson's failed drug test in March were not at a level that would enhance his performance.

Peterson admitted to using synthetic testosterone last November, prior to facing Khan, claiming it was for medical reasons. Peterson had a testosterone pellet surgically implanted into his hip by Las Vegas-based Dr. John Thompson on Nov. 12 of last year after he was diagnosed with an abnormally testosterone level.

IBF President Daryl Peoples informed RingTV.com that Peterson-Khan was examined after the organization received Peterson's medical records for review.

Based on the findings of the appointed physicians, the IBF deduced that Peterson should not be stripped of the title.

[Note: The entire ruling, obtained by RingTV.com, can be read in the letter below this article.]

In addition, the IBF has ordered Peterson to face former beltholder Zab Judah, a former welterweight champ and junior welterweight titleholder who is coming off a ninth-round stoppage win over previously undefeated Vernon Paris in March.

Judah's victory over Paris, which represented an IBF eliminator bout, helped him to rebound from a fifth-round knockout loss to Khan last July.

Peterson (30-1-1, 15 knockouts) was all but stripped of the WBA's belt, which he also took from Khan (26-3, 18 KOs), in the wake of the positive test for the banned substance testosterone that forced the cancelation of a scheduled May 19 rematch with Khan.

Khan was re-instated as the WBA's beltholder, and Peterson named its "champion in recess," four days prior to Khan's fourth-round knockout loss to WBC titleholder Danny Garcia (24-0, 15 KOs) that was also for THE RING championship last month.

Peterson's legal counsel has also asked for a postponement to August of its originally scheduled July 9 meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, whose executive director, Keith Kizer, received the request from one of Peterson's lawyers, Peter Bernard, on June 27.

Peterson and Khan contractually agreed to have their blood and urine randomly tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), whose president and founder, Margaret Goodman, informed Kizer that Peterson's "urine specimen ... was collected on March 19" and that its test results were "consistent with the administration of an anabolic steroid such as testosterone."

In an interview with RingTV.com, Peterson said that he passed the pre-fight urine test conducted by the Washington D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Athletic Commission before facing Khan. D.C. commission director, Scottie Irving, has maintained that he has no official comment.

IBF's ruling:

The International Boxing Federation has decided that Lamont Peterson will keep the organization’s Junior Welterweight title, which he won from Amir Khan on December 10, 2011. The organization’s decision is based on the findings reported by an independent physician, certified in internal medicine and endocrinology, retained by the IBF to review Peterson’s medical records in relation to the information disclosed in the VADA report released this past May.

The physician was asked by the IBF to provide an opinion as to whether the levels of testosterone noted in the VADA report appeared to be consistent with the therapeutic use of the hormone, or for performance enhancing purposes. Additionally, the physician was asked to confer on whether these levels of testosterone would have enhanced Lamont Peterson’s training for and performance during the bout on December 10, 2011, and for his training for the bout scheduled for May 19, 2012.

After concluding the review of all the documentation provided by Peterson’s camp and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the physician determined that the testosterone levels noted in the VADA report are consistent with the therapeutic use of the hormone and not for the purpose of performance enhancement. Therefore, these levels would not have enhanced Lamont Peterson’s training for or performance during the bout on December 10, 2011.

Nor for his training for the bout that was schedule for May 19, 2012, as a specimen collected by VADA on April 13, 2012 tested negative on May 2, 2012. The IBF has advised Peterson’s camp of the findings established in this independent review and of his status as the organization’s Junior Welterweight Champion. Moreover, the camp was advised that Lamont Peterson must now make a mandatory defense of his title against Zab Judah, who won the elimination bout for the number one position in the IBF Junior Welterweight ratings on March 24, 2012.

Peterson’s mandatory defense should have taken place on or before September 10, 2012 but was delayed pending the receipt of the endocrinologist’s report. The IBF has ordered the respective camps into negotiations for this bout, which is now expected to take place as soon as possible on a date that all parties involved agree upon.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com