The WBA has stepped up and ordered that a rematch take place between WBA/IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson and the man he controversially snatched the belt from, Amir Khan. While no date or venue is yet set, the WBA has declared it must take place within 180 days.
The basis for the ruling comes from Golden Boy Promotion?s protest regarding referee Joseph Cooper?s questionable action including his failure to credit Khan with a knockdown in the 1st round and his point deductions from Khan in the 7th and 12th round.
Also noted was the unauthorized ringside presence of Mustafa Ameen, who was able to handle the score cards and communicated with the officials. Score card discrepancies were also observed.
So a rematch is evident. The original fight went down on December 10th with the 27 year old ?Havoc? Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO?s) taking the titles from the 25 year old ?King? Khan (26-2, 18 KO?s) by way of a split decision. After the fouls were factored in, Peterson walked away with scores of 113-112 (twice) and 110-115.
While this ruling is not a huge surprise, it does set the stage for a mega-rematch later this year. Peterson has been mentioned as a possible opponent for some big names including Pacquiao, Mayweather, and Marquez following his big win, but it looks like those plans will have to wait.
As for Khan, who has taken some heat for the loss and his post-fight criticism, there will be now be a time for redemption. Check back often with 8CN for updates on the situation as they arise.
