WBA chief calls for Amir Khan rematch against Lamont Peterson

The World Boxing Association vice-president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza believes there should be a direct rematch between Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson as questions grew around the presence of a mystery man at the judging table during last month’s controversial fight.

Khan has accused the man, who the WBA say is unknown to them, of interfering with the judges’ scorecards during the fight in Washington and Mendoza thinks there should be a rerun of the light welterweight contest in the interests of “fairness”.

The DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission also say they have no idea who the man is, while the International Boxing Federation, who co-sanctioned the fight, had no official comment to make ahead of an IBF hearing on 18 January.

Mendoza told BBC Sport: “There should be a direct rematch of this fight. You have to guarantee fairness, you have to guarantee that no one who isn’t directly involved can sit at the table.”

A man in a black hat and a blue suit can be seen passing slips of paper to WBA fight supervisor Michael Welsh, and as yet no one has been able to confirm his identity. Mendoza laid the blame for the uncertainty at the door of the local commission. “There was not the proper security in the arena, especially in the ring side zone where the commission sits,” he added.

The IBF’s public relations director Jeanette Salazar said: “At this point in time we have been advised by our lawyers not to speak out in order to keep the integrity of the [IBF] hearing which is scheduled on 18 January.”