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Peterson vs Khan Update: Team Peterson Working to Clear Fighter's Name After Positive Drug Test

Lamont Peterson has tested positive for a banned substance ahead of his rematch with Amir Khan, but his team is working to clear his name by tomorrow. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Lamont Peterson has tested positive for a banned substance ahead of his rematch with Amir Khan, but his team is working to clear his name by tomorrow. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Update: Steve Carp reports that Peterson was found to have synthetic testosterone in his system in March.

Tonight's big story in boxing continues to develop, but if you haven't heard, let's catch you up really quickly. Earlier this evening, there were reports that the May 19 rematch between Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan was close to being called off.

Later in the night, Gabriel Montoya reported that Peterson had tested positive for a banned substance during the VADA pre-fight drug testing both fighters have taken.

Now, Peterson's team has released a statement, confirming the positive test but also stating that they will try to clear their fighter's name:

"We have tremendous respect for VADA and its mission. Lamont, Barry & the entire team emphatically support random drug testing in the most comprehensive manner possible. We are working expeditiously with a team of pathologists and other medical specialists to confirm the origin of the test result and in full compliance with the rules of the NSAC. Lamont has never had a positive test either before or after this isolated occurrence, and we plan to submit medical findings by close of Tue. reflecting the actual facts in support of Lamont's good faith intentions and the requirements of the commission."

I'm one of those hoping that there's just something screwed up here, but my brain is telling me that there's almost never something just screwed up with these things.

Steve Kim reports that Amir Khan is continuing to train at the Wild Card as though the fight will go on. There have been some rumors that Carson Jones has been contacted by Golden Boy about fighting Khan on May 19, but UK journalist Kevin Mitchell says that Jones hasn't heard anything about that, and has confirmed he'll be fighting Kell Brook on July 7 in Sheffield, which we'll have more on tomorrow.

Jones' trainer says there's "no way" that they would take a fight on the level of a Khan matchup on just 11 days' notice, and it's worth noting that Jones just fought on April 26 in Oklahoma, too.

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