Peterson tells Amir Khan to 'let it go' after appeal is dismissed

THE AMERICAN light-welterweight boxer Lamont Peterson has told Amir Khan to "let it go" after the Englishman lost an appeal to the International Boxing Federation over his controversial points defeat by Peterson on 10 December in Washington DC.

Khan wanted an immediate rerun of the fight on neutral territory – Washington is Peterson's home town. But though the Bolton man has much of the boxing fraternity on his side, the IBF dismissed his claim that he had been unfairly docked two points by referee Joseph Cooper for pushing.

Khan, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, had explained after the fight that he had only pushed Peterson because the American was constantly leading with his head. Khan also claimed there was nothing in the rulebook to say he might get points deducted for pushing.

But officials at the IBF disagreed. "We found no discrepancies that would affect the outcome or the result of the fight," said Lindsay Tucker. "We decided not to order an immediate rematch on the basis of the fact that in the rules, if the referee feels that it's a foul, then that's his call to take a point. He did warn Khan several times before he actually took the first point."

The defeat cost 25-year-old Khan his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles.

Peterson told Sky Sports News that Khan should "let it go" and said he was up for a rematch next year. As The Week reported last Monday, this is expected to take place in Las Vegas on 31 March. "Yes, I definitely want a rematch," Khan told Sky.

Will Khan "let it go"? According to the BBC, Khan's camp have not given up the fight for justice. They are understood to be pursuing separate appeals with the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission and the WBA regarding referee Cooper's performance and "ambiguities over the judges' scoring". ·