Filed under: WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
During 2010, the issue of steroids became a hot topic in boxing.
For the second time, a lucrative bout between six-time titlist Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts) and eight-division king, Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), holder of the WBO welterweight and WBC junior middleweight belts, reached a negotiations impasse over the issue.
To test or not to test. That was the general debate.
For the first time in the sport's history, Mayweather and five-time champion, Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) were subject to Olympic style drug testing of both blood and urine by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) prior to Mayweather's unanimous decision victory in May. Prior to that, only urine had been examined in boxing.
Reportedly a past user of the painkilling medicine, Xylocaine, to numb his hands, Mayweather was defended by his adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, who insisted that the fighter no longer used the substance and that his problem had been remedied by hand-wrapping guru, Rafael Garcia.
Former Nevada State Athletic Commission doctor, Margaret Goodman (pictured below, at right), advocates that blood testing, though expensive, is feasible for boxing and included it among her 15 ways to improve the sport.
If it meant enforcing stricter guidelines for boxing, USADA executive chief, Travis Tygart, told FanHouse that he would embrace the opportunity to work with BALCO founder, Victor Conte (pictured below, at left), whom Tygart once referred to as, "The Evil Chemist."
In 2003, Mosley admitted to injecting the steroids, "the cream," and, "the clear," but says that he did so unknowingly after having been supplied the drugs by Conte through a relationship with his former strength trainer, Daryl Hudson.
Although Mosley recently dropped what had been an ongoing defamation suit against Conte, Golden Boy Promotions' CEO, Richard Schaefer, still is named in a suit by Pacquiao which seeks compensatory and punitive damages for defamation of character.
The lawsuit also names Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions president, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Mayweather's uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, for their alleged accusations of steroid use by Pacquiao.
Acting on behalf of Schaefer against Pacquiao, and, Mosley against Conte, attorney Judd Burstein raised eyebrows when he said, "I don't think that Jesus Christ could come down off of the cross and win Manny's case against Richard and Oscar," and, "I've already said that my dog could win that case [against Conte] for Shane."
Conte countered that Mosley's story "doesn't pass the smell test," adding "I call this the Marion Jones case with boxing gloves."
In separate posts that appeared on BoxingScene.com and FanHouse, WBA junior middleweight (140 pounds) junior welterweight king Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) publicly defended himself and Pacquiao against notions that they have been supplied performance enhancing drugs (PED's) by strength trainer Alex Ariza.
Although he no longer continues to do so, former IBF junior welterweight (140 pounds) king Paulie Malignaggi (28-4, six KOs) once espoused his belief that Pacquiao has used PED's. Pacquiao is scheduled to pursue his 14th straight win and his ninth knockout during that run in an HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions WBO welterweight title bout opposite Mosley on May 7.
Below are the some of the most quotable assertions dealing with boxing and steroids culled from the FanHouse archives.
Manny Pacquiao's statement regarding blood testing:
There seems to be concern from numerous members of the sports industry -- from writers to reporters, even other athletes, regarding why I am concerned with random blood testing.
As I have stated before, I have never used anabolic steroids nor do I even know what they look like. I view using steroids, synthetic growth hormone, or any other illegal or banned substance as cheating.
I would never cheat this sport that I love. I would never cheat the legacies of the great champions I have been blessed to challenge.
I would never do anything to cheat such great champions as Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, all of the Mexican warriors that I have been blessed to go into the ring and do battle with.
My concern as a fighter is that there should be some limitations and agreements on how much blood they can take from someone prior to a fight.
My other concern is how close to the actual fight itself can they take the blood. It is my opinion that taking blood from a person can weaken you.
I do not want to be in a weakened state when I enter the ring against any fighter. My concern has never been with someone randomly checking me with regards to blood or urine.
I volunteered immediately to have my urine tested anytime someone wanted to -- all the way up to the time I am walking into the ring.
It was later brought to my attention and the attention of my staff that you can not test for synthetic growth hormone through urine; you could only detect synthetic growth hormone through blood tests.
Before all of these blood-testing and demands from other people, I had never even heard of synthetic growth hormone. I have never seen it before nor have I ever used it.
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