Lamont Peterson American professional boxer Date of Birth: 24.01.1984 Country: USA

1. Biography of Lamont Peterson
2. Early Life and Struggles
3. Finding Boxing and Success
4. Professional Career
5. Championship Victory
6. Doping Controversy

Biography of Lamont Peterson

Lamont Peterson, an American professional boxer, competes in the super lightweight division (up to 140 lbs). He is currently the super champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the champion of the International Boxing Federation in the super lightweight division. However, Peterson may be stripped of these titles as he failed a doping test in March 2012.

Early Life and Struggles

Lamont Peterson was born on January 24, 1984, in Washington, District of Columbia. He and his brother, Anthony Peterson, were constantly involved in boxing matches broadcasted by ESPN, where their life story was frequently discussed. The Peterson brothers were left without parents at an early age. Their father was imprisoned, and their mother suffered from personal problems. It is reported that the brothers spent several years roaming the streets of Washington, without a place to call their own.

Finding Boxing and Success

When Lamont and Anthony were ten years old, they caught the attention of boxing coach Barry Hunter. Over time, Hunter developed his own training methodology, and under his guidance, the Peterson brothers became stars in amateur boxing. In 2001, Lamont won the national 'Golden Gloves' tournament in the lightweight division. In 2003, he became the US champion in the super lightweight division. Peterson achieved victories over Rock Allen, Mike Alvarado, Andre Dirrell, and defeated French amateur boxer, Willy Blain, who was the world champion in 2003.

Professional Career

Moving to the professional level, Peterson defeated Blain, sending him into technical knockout in the seventh round. This victory made him the 'interim' WBA champion in the super lightweight division. He fought for the main championship title against Timothy Bradley at the end of 2009 but lost by unanimous decision. On December 11, 2010, in the undercard of Amir Khan - Marcos Maidana fight, Peterson faced Victor Ortiz at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in a draw.

Championship Victory

Peterson defeated Amir Khan in a 12-round fight for the WBA and IBF titles in the super lightweight division on December 10, 2011, in Washington. Although his opponent knocked Peterson down in the first round and dominated in the second, Peterson effectively worked the body in the third round. Points were deducted from Khan in the 7th and 12th rounds as he constantly pushed Peterson. Ultimately, one judge awarded the victory to Khan with a score of 115-110, while the other two scored 113-112 in favor of the American. The losing side was dissatisfied with the judges' decision, and both boxers agreed to a rematch.

Doping Controversy

The rematch was scheduled for March 19, 2012, but it was canceled due to Lamont's positive test for synthetic testosterone. Peterson released a statement saying that he had done nothing wrong and that his team would vigorously seek the truth regarding this matter. The boxer's representatives claimed that the synthetic testosterone was used for treatment related to Peterson's low testosterone levels.