Amir Khan probably deserved to beat Lamont Peterson and retain his WBA and IBF light welterweight titles on Saturday at the Washington Convention Center. Probably. It's arguable, of course, but those two point penalties were kind of weak since they came with less of a warning than usual even though they proved to be decisive in giving Peterson the win.
Of course, that's boxing. The sad truth is that referees get in the way a lot in this sport, turning 50/50 fights the other way due to incompetence of some kind. It would be easy to make the story be about Joe Cooper, and I'm sure Khan supporters are doing that already.
But there are other things worth noting.
If you think about it, Saturday night was arguably a watershed event in Washington D.C. The city was given its first title bout in 18 years, and it delivered by selling out and creating a big-time atmosphere even in a somewhat small setting. That one of D.C.'s own ended up winning almost made the story too perfect, but again, that's boxing. The result itself was almost secondary. The atmosphere, the competitiveness, the speed ... all that is the show.
The result's just a small part of it. Peterson's victory is great for him, but the real winner on Saturday was Washington D.C. Way to represent.
(Full highlights via ESPN).
For more on the Khan vs. Peterson fight, including live results throughout the bout, visit this StoryStream, Bad Left Hook and MMA Nation.