It’s typical of professional boxing to entertain us with one of the best fights in years on Dec. 10 and then to shoot itself in the foot due to a controversial decision. WBA and IBF Jr. Welterweight Champion Amir Khan of England traveled to Washington D.C and took on Lamont Peterson in his hometown and the two boxers put on one of the best displays of determination, courage, speed and skill for many a moon.

However, the excellent fight was marred with controversy when Peterson won by a split decision by scores of 113-112, 113-112, and 110-115. Fans weren’t upset with what many were calling a hometown decision; instead it was a result of hometown refereeing.

The judges couldn’t be blamed for the scoring since Khan would have won a unanimous decision if it wasn’t for referee Joe Cooper, also from the Washington area, who deducted two points from Khan during the bout. Without the deductions, Khan would have won by scores of 114-113, 114-113, and 117-110.

The two traded shots and combinations back and forth over 12 exciting rounds and while many rounds were hard to score, the general consensus of most fans was that Khan did enough to hang onto his titles, even if it was a draw. He dropped Peterson in the first round to jump into a quick lead on the scorecards.

Peterson turned it up during the middle rounds and Khan seemed to control the later ones. He may now regret the decision to take on Peterson in his backyard. However, there can be no criticism of Peterson, who definitely fought the fight of his career in this epic battle. He’s generally known as a boxer first, but turned this fight into an all-out brawl and just kept pressing the action.

Cooper took a point from Khan in the seventh round for pushing, which is very rare in a boxing match. Points are often taking for excessive holding, but pushing is generally considered to be part of a fight. Khan was also deducted a point in the 12^th and final round, but it’s unclear if this was also for pushing or for hitting on the break. The problem is nobody knows for sure since Cooper hasn’t explained his calls. Cooper never gave Khan any strict warnings prior to the deductions either.

Khan and his trainer Freddie Roach were upset about the point deductions and said after the fight that the refereeing was bias in their eyes. It’s hard to argue with them, but perhaps the best thing about the controversial decision is that fans will get to see a rematch of this classic. Peterson said he’d definitely give the former champion a chance to win his titles back.

Khan said Peterson was leading with his head low and he was pushing it away to make sure he didn’t get butted. Peterson said he didn’t mind the pushing, but didn’t like having his head held down by the Englishman. Khan’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya has asked the commission for an explanation of the refereeing decisions and the scoring.

If you agree with the decision or not, it was an all-action fight that entertained from start to finish. With the win, the 27-year-old Peterson raised his record to 30-1-1, with 15 KOs while the 25-year-old Khan’s record fell to 26-2, with 18 KOs.

Khan was attempting to defend his titles for the sixth time and will now be more determined than ever to win them back. A rematch is almost certain and two of the major negotiating points are bound to be the location of the fight and the referee. Washington D.C. and Joe Cooper will definitely be out of the question for Khan’s camp.

It’s understandable why we’ll never see Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko duke it out to unify the heavyweight boxing titles, and that’s because they’re brothers. But is being buddies a good reason for boxers not to fight each other? According to trainer Freddie Roach it is and he said that’s why we’ll never see Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan trying to punch each other’s lights out in the ring, other than in sparring sessions.

This is bad news for the millions of fans who’d love to see them go toe to toe as they’re two of the most entertaining and charismatic fighters in the sport right now. Boxing fans have often missed out on some great matchups over the years to due legal and promotional issues, but is this good enough reason to pull the plug on a Pacquiao vs Khan scrap?

There have been dozens fights between friends in the past, but these two guys don’t need the money and there are other intriguing opponents out there for both of them. That’s Roach’s theory anyway. But if Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t agree to fight Pacquiao anytime soon the public might get a little tired of shelling out for pay-per-view fights where Pacquiao isn’t challenged. Sooner or later they’re going to want to see him take on the best, which could be Khan.

But time’s running out since Pacquiao is taking on Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time this Nov. 12 and said he only wants two more fights after that because he plans on concentrating on his political career in the Philippines. The fight would be appealing and many experts feel Khan would actually have a good chance of winning due to all of the sparring he’s been doing with his buddy Pacquiao over the past few years.

Roach recently told the press they’ll never fight each other because he trains them both and he wouldn’t let it happen. He said Pacquiao and Khan are like sons to him and a father wouldn’t let his sons fight each other, at least not in the ring in a professional fight. Roach added that he wouldn’t know whose corner he would work in. He said he’s been with Pacquiao for 10 years and Khan for three and he wouldn’t want to ruin the special bond they have.

Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy agreed and said it would be a tough thing to do, especially with other good opponents out there for both of them. He said Khan could fight Erik Morales, Timothy Bradley, or the winner of the Robert Guerrero vs Marcos Maidana fight. But he also might fight the likes of Lamont Peterson, who’s a fine fighter, but not a household name. He’s also beaten Maidana already and Bradley doesn’t seem interested in taking him on.

However, Khan’s been getting on Bradley’s nerves lately by shooting off his mouth about Bradley being afraid of him, which of course is a ridiculous accusation for a pro boxer. If the bad blood between Khan and Bradley continues, it could hype the fight with the public and it might take place next year, likely at welterweight as Khan is expected to move up a division. Khan could also find himself in the ring with Mayweather as that’s an attractive matchup, especially if Mayweather refuses to fight Pacquiao and he gets by Victor Ortiz on Sept. 17.

But if none of these scenarios pan out, the public will start putting the pressure on for a Pacquiao vs Khan fight. Couldn’t Roach just do the simple thing and just not work either fighter’s corner that night?

Manny Pacquiao is not just the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today, he’s also a massive draw with fellow pros.

But he might just lose his status as No.1 in the hearts of fellow Filipinos soon, if Nonito Donaire continues his rise to fulfill his belief that “God has a plan and I have faith in God’s plan” to see him unify the belts at bantamweight.

Donaire, the newly-crowned WBO/WBC champ, arrived in Manila yesterday morning, his flight having taken the Bohol boxer all the way from Los Angeles to the Philippines to spend three weeks observing the Pac-Man in training.

Manny, who began his high-altitude training sessions last weekend in Baguio City, has also been joined, of course, by his trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, while British light-welterweight star Amir Khan came in on the same flight.

Khan has been lined up to face Northern Irishman Paul McCloskey back in England on April 14 to defend his WBA crown, but, as he is training under Roach, will join Manny some time over the next few days.

Pacquiao began light training last week as he gets in shape for his bout with American Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 7. He has so far put in some morning roadwork, a few games of basketball, and a few sessions in the mitts with long-time trainer and friend Buboy Fernandez.

Also there are the Pac-Man’s frequent sparring partners, undefeated welterweight Shawn Porter, from Akron in Ohio, and David Rodela, who is also Khan’s sparring mate, as well as Filipina WBO bantamweight Ana Julaton – a recent winner against Francesca Alcanter.

However, although these coaches and boxers are there to work with or watch Manny, 28-year-old Donaire – who stopped Fernando Montiel in the second round to pick up the crowns on February 19 – is fast becoming a favorite with a nation now engrossed with their potent pugilists.

Donaire deserves the adulation, too, having become only the third Asian fighter – and second Filipino after the great man – to hold titles in three different divisions, with crowns also in flyweight and super-flyweight.

When Mexican Montiel landed a right to Donaire’s head in Las Vegas as month, the Filipino Flash responded with a devastating left he believes was “the hardest punch of my career” that left his opponent crumpled on the canvas. But Montiel somehow got back to his feet, only for Donaire to rush over and land a left then a right that resulted in referee Russell Mora stopping the bout just five minutes and 25 seconds in.

Now ranked No.3 in the world’s pound-for-pound ratings behind Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Donaire – $350,000 the richer after his latest victory – will return to the United States at the end of the month to prepare for his next fight, which he hopes will be a unification bout with WBA holder Anselmo Moreno, of Panama, at the Oakland Coliseum on May 28.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum is attempting to set that clash up, although no contract has yet been signed, while promoter Gary Shaw wants Moreno to face Venezuelan Lorenzo Parra ahead of Donaire.

With Donaire’s contract with Top Rank up in a few months, there has been speculation that Golden Boy Promotions will sign the in-demand Filipino. But he’s just looking to get back in the ring to face whoever manager Cameron Dunkin and Arum sign up as his next opponent.

No matter who is lined up, though, three boxing legends believe Donaire is poised to become as big a star as Manny – especially after his destruction of Montiel.

Former world champion Roy Jones Jr reckons “God had blessed this kid with wonderful talent”, while Mexican legends Julio Cesar Chavez and Marco Antonio Barrera – while commentating on the fight – said Donaire gave “an amazing performance”.

The rightly confident Donaire described himself as “a monster” after the Montiel fight. Certainly, he’s set to become a monster box office star in the world of boxing very soon.