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 on Friday night.

Peterson had not fought in 14 months since testing positive for synthetic testosterone, which caused the cancelation 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.

"The last time I caught him on the ropes, I just let my hands go and didn't stop," Peterson said. "I just couldn't let up."

Peterson improved to 31-1-1 with 16 knockouts. He defeated Khan for the IBF and WBA 140-pound titles in December 2011, also in his hometown of Washington.

The WBA stripped Peterson of its title after the positive drug test. But the IBF allowed him to keep its belt, saying an independent investigation affirmed Peterson camp's claim that the results stemmed from treatment for a medical condition.

After the fight, Peterson spoke of trying to reclaim the WBA belt, which along with the WBC belt is held by Danny Garcia.

"I would love to fight Danny Garcia," Peterson said. "I still think that I am the champ, the WBA champ, and I want to get the fight to make that happen."

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.

He said he had struggled making weight for the fight, and was considering moving up to the 147-pound welterweight division.

(China Daily 02/24/2013 page7)