Boxers Mayweather and Mosley to Undergo 'Olympic Style' Drug Test
Undefeated professional boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley are submitting themselves to voluntary drug test to be conducted by the US Anti Doping Administration (USADA). The 'Olympic-style' drug test will be done at random. Blood and urine samples will be taken from both fighters before and after their May 1 fight.
The boxers will not know the exact day and time of tests until they are advised by the doping agency. The sample will be used as basis for the determination of the presence of drugs currently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency including human growth hormones and designer steroid and other performance enhancing drugs.
"This is one of the biggest events I've seen in the sport of boxing, and if this introduces Olympic-style testing to boxing, we not only have delivered a great fight but also leveled the field for athletes," Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions said. "With Floyd being the face of boxing, this is something that he has wanted to put forth," said Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe.
"Every fight from this point on that anybody steps into the ring with him will be subjected to this." The Olympic-style blood testing was revealed by the two boxers in a conference call Thursday that included Travis Tygart, head of doping agency, USADA.
The Olympic-style drug test was proposed by the camp of Floyd Mayweather when the undefeated American boxer was slated to face Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao last March 13 in what could have been this year's biggest boxing event. Negotiations fell through as Pacquiao's camp insisted that only the Nevada Sports Athletic Commission (NSAC) has the mandate to do blood testing for professional athletes fighting in Nevada.
At the same time, Pacquiao's camp maintained that the Filipino boxer had passed all drug tests administered by the agency which is used a the basis for granting a license for boxers to fight in the State of Nevada. It may be recalled that the camp of Mayweather accused Pacquiao of taking performance enhancing drugs to gain advantage over his opponent which Pacquiao vehemently denied, saying he is clean and has in fact passed all tests conducted by NSAC.
The drug testing controversy led to legal battle between the camps of Mayweather and Pacquiao resulting in a court case filed by Pacquiao's lawyers against Mayweather and company for oral defamation. The case is pending resolution in a district court in California.
USADA does not have any official enforcement power in boxing and can only recommend a ban to the state boxing commissions who would then choose whether to abide by it, the report added. Tygart said both Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to a two-year ban if one of them fails a test.
(original article appeared @ Digital Journal )