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 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.
“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.