By Michael Collins: IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s) has accepted terms for a rematch with Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO’s) on May 19th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In selecting the Khan rematch, Peterson is walking away from what could be a much better deal to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on April 14th with the chance of fighting Manny Pacquiao in November. The Khan rematch could be a difficult one for Peterson if a referee allows Khan to foul. It’s going to be tough as it is for Peterson to force Khan to fight, as he’s very slippery and likes to run. But if Khan is allowed to push off and/or grab Peterson by the head all night long, it could be too much for Peterson to overcome.
The outcome of the rematch may side on which referee is selected for the fight. If a referee is chosen that allows Khan to get away with his shoving and other fouls, it’s going to be tough on Peterson. Khan is hard to beat when he’s able to push off and snatch his opponents by the head to lean down on them. The fight will need a mentally engaged referee to keep Khan from using these various fouls to get an edge.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach is able to teach Khan how to deal with Peterson’s inside attacks instead of having him shove and hold. That’s not a good option that Khan and Roach can count on working every fight because some referees will take points away if Khan is using the fouls over and over without actually fighting. Shoving and holding is a poor substitute for in fighting skills. If Khan’s not learning what he needs to learn from Roach, he might need to look in another direction or add a second trainer to his team that knows how to train fighters how to fight on the inside. Khan looked utterly clueless against Peterson last December, which begs the question, what has Roach been teaching Khan all this time?
Also on the card will be former WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto facing light welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse at 140. That fight right there could easily be the main event and it really helps pack a punch to the fight card.