When a fighter fails a drug test, contamination is usually their first claim. Very rarely does a boxer admit to having intentionally ingested the substance. That was the case however in 2012, when a rematch between IBF/WBA junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan, scheduled for May 19, 2012, was canceled after Peterson tested positive on a VADA test for synthetic testosterone. Peterson admitted to taking the substance, but says it was due to testosterone pellets that had been implanted in his hip by a doctor who had prescribed them due to low testosterone levels. Though the fight’s cancellation denied Khan an opportunity to avenge his split decision loss from the previous year, it vindicated him somewhat, as he labeled Peterson “a cheat.” In an odd twist, the WBA stripped Peterson for the failed test, but the IBF didn’t, stating that they were giving him a pass because the synthetic testosterone had been prescribed for a medical condition.
