WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamont Peterson returned to the ring for the first time in more than a year and retained his IBF junior welterweight title, stopping Kendall Holt in the eighth round Friday night.
Peterson had not fought in 14 months since testing positive for synthetic testosterone, which caused the cancellation of a rematch with Amir Khan set for last May.
Peterson, who had twice knocked down Holt, caught him with a pair of right-handed blows. Peterson then landed a flurry with Holt on the ropes.
Referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at 1:42 in the round.
Peterson improved to 31-1-1 with 16 knockouts. Holt (28-6, 16 knockouts) fell to 3-4 in his last seven bouts, including 0-3 in title fights. He held the WBO 140-pound crown for about nine months in 2008-09.
