Moments ago, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer held a conference call to reveal details of Lamont Peterson's failed drug test, which was conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). According to Schaefer, who seemed none too pleased about the communication process of VADA, the fate of the highly-anticipated rematch between Peterson and Amir Khan now rests with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who will review statements from Team Peterson regarding their explanation for the presence of a banned substance before making a ruling. "Peterson's attorneys and legal representation will be submitting paperwork this afternoon to the Nevada State Athletic Commission explaining themselves and explaining why there was a substance," Schaefer explained. "The Commission will then rule if in fact there will be a fight or not. And that's all I know at this point. I'm sure in the coming days, I would assume by tomorrow or maybe the day after, we will know where we stand. For the time being, Amir Khan continues to train."
Although he did not come out and say it, it was clear that Schaefer was not happy about the steps that have been taken by VADA up until this point. He questioned why he was just notified of the positive test result yesterday when the first signs of trouble appeared on April 13th, when Peterson was first informed of his A sample coming back positive. Furthermore, when Peterson instructed VADA to test his B sample, Schaefer questioned why it took them 17 days before they actually conducted the second tests on April 30th. It sounded as though Schaefer was pleading his case to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, attempting to point out flaws in VADA's practices in hopes of convincing NSAC to allow the fight to push forward on May 19. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, but NSAC is definitely caught between a rock and a hard place as they are now faced with making the decision to either cancel a fight that's two weeks away or allow a fighter to compete despite having positive test result 2 months prior to stepping into the ring. Check out the comments below from Schaefer's conference call.
RICHARD SCHAEFER:
I'd like to just clarify you're going to hear me refer to VADA, and that's V-A-D-A. That's the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which is an organization set up by Dr. Margaret Goodman, former head physician of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It's based in Las Vegas...WADA, W-A-D-A...WADA is the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is the agency which is retained by the Olympics and oversees all Olympic-style drug testing. It's really the gold standard when it comes to drug testings.
I got a call yesterday morning; I talked to Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Comission, and he informed us that he had received a letter over the weekend from VADA...where he was informed that Lamont Peterson has tested postivie for a substance consistent with the administration of a steroid.
I was not copied in that letter. The letter was only sent to Keith Kizer, Jeff Reed, who is the legal representative for Lamont Peterson...a VADA consultant, and Ryan Connoly, who is their chief legal counsel. Why I was not informed by that I cannot explain...I wasn't copied in this letter. Nobody from Team Khan was copied in that letter.
There was a urine specimen taken from both athletes on March 19, 2012, which was an unannounced, unscheduled visit by the collections officers following the press conference in Los Angeles, where both fighters obviously were present to announce the fight.
That specimen was transported by the collections officers to the WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency, accredited, UCLA, Olypmic analytical laboratory in Los Angeles...UCLA's laboratory is one of the leading laboratories in the world for Olympic-style drug testing.
All urines samples collected for VADA were split into an A and B sample. The first results for the athlete, for Lamont Peterson's A sample were reported to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (Association) by the lab, by UCLA, on April 12th, 2012. Again, why we were not informed until yesterday, not even by VADA or by the Commission, is a mystery to me.
VADA informed the athlete, informed Lamont Peterson, of the adverse analytical finding on April the 13th, so VADA got the results on the 12th and informed Peterson on the 13th of April. And they adviced him as well of the right to have the B sample analyzed as well.
The process of analyzing the B sample began at the laboratory on April the 30th, 2012. Why it took from the 13th of April to the 30th to actually go and test the B sample is again a mystery to me. Had I been informed about it, I certainly would have asked for expedited testing and not wait 2 weeks or more than 2 weeks to get this test.
The result of the B sample confirmed the analytical results of the A sample, and so basically both A and B samples showed that the athletes specimen are consistent with the administration of an anabolic steroid such as testosterone.
I was further informed in that letter, it was further stated that there were follow-up samples taken from Peterson on April the 13th and that the laboratory reported on that sample, on the April sample, and came back as negative on May the 2nd. So while the first ones were positive, that second one showed a negative.
That really is all we know. This is discussed with Keith Kizer, what is next, and he informed me that Peterson's attorneys and legal representation will be submitting paperwork this afternoon to the Nevada State Athletic Commission explaining themselves and explaining why there was a substance, and based on those, once we have received those paperworks, these statements from Team Peterson, then they will then present that to the Commission and the chairman of the Commission will then rule in in fact there will be a fight or not. And that's all I know at this point. I'm sure in the coming days, I would assume by tomorrow or maybe the day after, we will know where we stand. For the time being, Amir Khan continues to train.
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