This must be the week for fight cancellation and postponement in the DMV, as two area fighters see their highly anticipated fights pulled from under them.
The June 23rd 10-Round middleweight contest between Virginia native Jimmy Lange and Maryland's popular fighter, Tony “Mo Better” Jeter (13-3-1, 9 KOs) at the Patriot center has been canceled.
Representatives from Team Lange issued a statement confirming the 38-4-2, 25 KO fighter suffered a leg injury during training camp resulting in the postponement of the bout.
Says Lange, “I want to thank all of my fans for their past, present and continued support. I promise to be back in action at the Patriot Center as soon as my physical condition allows. This injury will not affect my performance when I return. Thank you again and I’ll see you in the fall.”
Amid controversy, Peterson won the fight in front of a hometown crowd that included many DC officials, professional athletes, and up and coming boxers in the area. The recent controversy has given some further ammunition in destroying Peterson's credibility.
According to reports the Nevada Athletic Commission executive director, Keith Kizer, said a urine test in March of this year found unacceptably high levels of synthetic testosterone in Peterson's system.
In response, Lamont Peterson's camp has issued the following statement in defense of their fighter suggesting that Peterson may have been taking medication to treat an undisclosed condition.
"Team Peterson is very disappointed and distraught by the decision to cancel the May 19th rematch against Amir Khan. This is an extremely difficult decision to accept. We have always taken the position of providing factual information rather than responding emotionally to rumors and innuendos. We did everything that was asked of us in efforts to comply. To support our stance we provided the Nevada State Athletic Commission with a significant amount of factual medical data in response to these allegations. Lamont did a battery of test this week and saw a number of independent board certified physicians. They all had the exact same conclusion as the doctor that initially treated and diagnosed Lamont’s medical condition. It began as a confidential medical matter between a patient and his physician; unfortunately, it has now become a public issue in efforts to clear the name and reputation of this young man."
Amir Khan, and representatives, vows to have Peterson stripped of both his WBA and IBF belts and have as well, issuing the following video response which can be seen here.
Khan apologized to fans and tweeted that a new fight is being planned for him this coming July. No word yet on who his opponent will be.
Khan went on a Twitter venting spree tweeting issuing this exchange, and a few others.
"from day 1 I was cheated n was in the ring with some1 I know I should of knocked out but couldnt, a lot of boxing writers, ex boxers (jim watt + many more) and fans wrote me off. Glad the truth is all out now. Thanks again" .
Further comments from Peterson reps maintain Peterson has never before failed a drug test and has always complied with the sport's strict drug policies.
"As a condition for this rematch Lamont demanded that Olympic style random drug testing be implemented. He has been a true advocate for making boxing drug free and fair. In his 18 year career (10 amateur and 8 professional) Lamont Peterson has never failed a drug test and has always complied with the rules beyond this isolated and explainable occurrence. We still stand behind the fact that he did nothing wrong and he was more than ready to go through with the May 19th fight. He is a man of tremendous character and will. His work ethic is second to none and in every sense of the word he is a true Champion, in life, as well as in the ring."
To be continued. (As we knew it would be).
In Other Fight News
This month marks the 48th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's historic knockout of Sonny Liston. Commemorative items, marking the occasion, and historical data are being displayed on the Champ's web site.
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| Jimmy Lange June 23rd bout against Tony Jeter canceled. Photo/Wallace Barron. |
The June 23rd 10-Round middleweight contest between Virginia native Jimmy Lange and Maryland's popular fighter, Tony “Mo Better” Jeter (13-3-1, 9 KOs) at the Patriot center has been canceled.
Representatives from Team Lange issued a statement confirming the 38-4-2, 25 KO fighter suffered a leg injury during training camp resulting in the postponement of the bout.
Says Lange, “I want to thank all of my fans for their past, present and continued support. I promise to be back in action at the Patriot Center as soon as my physical condition allows. This injury will not affect my performance when I return. Thank you again and I’ll see you in the fall.”
In other fight cancellation news, we also learned this week that the rematch between Anthony Peterson and Amir Khan has not been postponed, but rather canceled amid reports of a Peterson failed drug test.
The May 18th fight rematch, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, was to solidify the careers of two men who showed tremendous tenacity and will inside the ring on December 10th of last year at the DC Convention Center. |
| Khan and Peterson at final presser before their December 10, 2012 matchup. Photo/CD Brown. |
According to reports the Nevada Athletic Commission executive director, Keith Kizer, said a urine test in March of this year found unacceptably high levels of synthetic testosterone in Peterson's system.
In response, Lamont Peterson's camp has issued the following statement in defense of their fighter suggesting that Peterson may have been taking medication to treat an undisclosed condition.
"Team Peterson is very disappointed and distraught by the decision to cancel the May 19th rematch against Amir Khan. This is an extremely difficult decision to accept. We have always taken the position of providing factual information rather than responding emotionally to rumors and innuendos. We did everything that was asked of us in efforts to comply. To support our stance we provided the Nevada State Athletic Commission with a significant amount of factual medical data in response to these allegations. Lamont did a battery of test this week and saw a number of independent board certified physicians. They all had the exact same conclusion as the doctor that initially treated and diagnosed Lamont’s medical condition. It began as a confidential medical matter between a patient and his physician; unfortunately, it has now become a public issue in efforts to clear the name and reputation of this young man."
Amir Khan, and representatives, vows to have Peterson stripped of both his WBA and IBF belts and have as well, issuing the following video response which can be seen here.
Khan apologized to fans and tweeted that a new fight is being planned for him this coming July. No word yet on who his opponent will be.
Khan went on a Twitter venting spree tweeting issuing this exchange, and a few others.
"from day 1 I was cheated n was in the ring with some1 I know I should of knocked out but couldnt, a lot of boxing writers, ex boxers (jim watt + many more) and fans wrote me off. Glad the truth is all out now. Thanks again" .
Further comments from Peterson reps maintain Peterson has never before failed a drug test and has always complied with the sport's strict drug policies.
"As a condition for this rematch Lamont demanded that Olympic style random drug testing be implemented. He has been a true advocate for making boxing drug free and fair. In his 18 year career (10 amateur and 8 professional) Lamont Peterson has never failed a drug test and has always complied with the rules beyond this isolated and explainable occurrence. We still stand behind the fact that he did nothing wrong and he was more than ready to go through with the May 19th fight. He is a man of tremendous character and will. His work ethic is second to none and in every sense of the word he is a true Champion, in life, as well as in the ring."
To be continued. (As we knew it would be).
In Other Fight News
This month marks the 48th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's historic knockout of Sonny Liston. Commemorative items, marking the occasion, and historical data are being displayed on the Champ's web site.
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