Could Olympic Style Drug Testing Become the Norm?
March 18th, 2010
By Alexander Fugate: People from the Mayweather and Mosley camps met with Travis Tygart, of the USADA, on Thursday, to discuss the testing to be performed on both fighters for their clash on May 1st. Mayweather and Mosley will both undergo olympic-style testing, including random blood and urine tests before and after the fight. The testing will be overseen by the USADA. Mosley has admitted to using PEDs for his second meeting with Oscar De La Hoya, but claims he was unaware of it at the time thinking the PEDs were just vitamins and/or supplements.
Despite the extra costs of ensuring a level playing field and protecting fighters from repeated power shots, accomplished by using illegal PEDs, German promoter Sauerland is leading the way. Sauerland recently signed an extension with the German network ARD. ARD added a clause to the extension where Sauerland will have to perform Olympic style drug testing on all of its fighters. The testing will be done by the German National Anti-Doping Association under the auspices of the Austrian Boxing commission. Almost immediately after implementing this testing, it already nabbed one pugilist looking for that extra, unfair advantage. Pablo Navascues was scheduled to battle Sebastion Sylvester for a middleweight title, but Navascues failed a random test, so a replacement opponent was found for Sylvester. This should also mean that pugilists Arthur Abraham and Mikkel Kessler will have olympic style drug testing done before their future fights, including their bouts in the Super Six tournament, since they are both with Sauerland.
Most experts are in unison in the belief that the current testing for PEDs in boxing is wholly ineffective. Its well known that different kinds of blood doping, PEDs that help a boxer more than any other PED, can only be detected through blood tests, and some blood doping are out of one’s system in 2-3 days. This makes it easy to beat the tests if you know when they are going to be. Blood doping increases red blood cells, thereby greatly increasing stamina. Using this form of cheating in training can pay amazing dividends in the later rounds of a fight.
With Mayweather-Mosley leading the way in the US and Sauerland leading the way in Europe could boxing be on its way to implementing more stringent testing? While some worry about costs there could be some sort of compromise, allowing for effective testing but not going as far as Olympic style testing for every fight. One such form could be allowing for the Olympic style testing, but whoever performs it could use their discretion and not test for every fight. This would save on costs and scare many fighters from taking any PED since they would be aware they could be tested on any given day. Another idea would be testing, but only for televised bouts. This wouldn’t effect club fighters and would go a long way in ensuring a level playing field for all major bouts and any fight on television. If PEDs helped a pugilist get to the top level, than not only would they have less physical attributes when they reached the big stage, but it could also effect them mentally. If a boxer becomes used to using PEDs it can become a sort of crutch for them and lead to them believing they need that extra advantage. Whatever happens with the testing issue, its good to know some major players in the world of boxing are leading the way to weed out PEDs in their beloved sport.
Tags: 33 Responses to “Could Olympic Style Drug Testing Become the Norm?”
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most sensible people will see pacman retire before he has to take a drugs test to fight mayweather & that will tell you exactly why mayweather is right to ask for this test. If pacman is so good why challenge for welterweight championship & have the champion come in 2lbs below weight limit. Hes a good fighter but he & his manager are very clever & know how to legally cheat & i think also ilegally cheat.I used to be a big pacman fan but i dont believe none of what his entourage say. Take the test its very simple. DONT BE A CHEATER
As soon as comprehensive blood testing becomes the norm for major bouts in the U.S. and Europe, Pacquiao will either retire or refuse to fight in those jurisdictions. Guaranteed.
OSDT will never be the norm because it’s too invasive. Saliva,
hair follicle and urine testing will be the standard testing protocol in the future…
floy and mosley eserved to be tested because they are proven cheaters. floy a xylocaine user and weight cheater and mosley caught using steroid. theses are enough to raise suspicion that these two boxer will do everything to gain unfair advantage to their opponent un like pacwuiao who fights fair and square. only insecure boxer like floy would resort to dirty tactics. floy a self-proclaimed best who holds nothing and acting like a primadonna in boxing, a fighter of the decayed who came back to do what he does best which is to cherry pick opponents like marquez and old mosley. floy will be regarde in the history of boxing as the best duckr of the best. LMAO
Seriously….if fighters are tested for PEDs in a comprehensive way, alot of fighters will get busted. Why is everyone acting like Pacquiao is the only fighter who could possibly be on steroids?
More comprehensive blood testing is Way way over due. I am surprised that some kid has not died in the ring as a result of substances being used. If something looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is a duck.
Quack quack Pacquiao!!! Take the test!!!!
Shane Mosely claimed when he took steroids he didn’t realize they were steroids. I hope he has done some research now and has a firm knowledge of what this Olmpic committee can test for. If there is anything at all resembling a PED of any kind it’s over for him. I really hope he knows what an illegal substance is now. And the same goes for Floyd. Remember if Shane used the cream and the clear, who knows what else he may be using that he doesn’t realize is illegal. He better have some advisors or doctors around him at all times.
Mosley you have been using ever since you moved up to Welter in 1999 and I believe you have been using up until the Margarito fight so go BS someone else, that I didn’t know crap. Since when does someone pay Balco $1200 for Amino Acids or Flaxseed oil. You sound like Barry Bonds. I also think Mayweather has used them he was a Skinny scrawny guy and pack on muscle quickly for the Delahoya bout.
How random can this testing be? They both know they can be tested at any time now around this fight. Of course they are gonna pass all the tests. And if one of them fails……what a real screw up it’s gonna be. They better hope they are both up on their knowledge of what the tests will detect. Seriously. It will look real bad if one or both of them test positive for something.
this is what boxing needs to get the fans back the fans knows that dugaddicts rule the sport of boxing clean it up only 650.000 puy in
the pacroid fight people are tired of the bull
Unfortunately, the writer is not that knowledgeable when it comes to the effectiveness of various testing. Since we can all agree testing every fight months prior and immediately after will be difficult at best. why not urinalysis everyday 30 days prior to the fight and a blood test immediately following? Todays urinalysis testing by using liquid chromatography and/or gas chromatography testing anything deemed “illegal” could be tested for and found all PED’s including EPO can be detected with testing every 24 hours. This testing would be light years ahead of boxing’s testing today and provide a clear procedure to ensure cheaters are exposed….Yes, it is that simple regardless of what PBF and various “experts” would have you believe….
There is no way this Olympic style testing will ever catch on due to the cost. That’s the bottom line. If it is adopted everywhere in boxing, that would mean even young fighter and 4 round fighters etc would be tested too. No one will care enough to test everyone. There are a million boxers in the world. There is not enough money to test everyone randomly several times before and after each fight. And to only have testing for specific fights such as Mayweather fights is ridiculous. How bout if a fighter uses PEDs in every fight til he becomes a contender then lays off the PEDs for the one big title fight, or one big fight with Mayweather, to avoid testing positive. If you used PEDs to get to the top and then passed the tests for one specific fight that would not prove anything.
I think when people think about this issue of drug testing, they instantly think about Pacquiao and Mayweather. If you had asked this question 2 years ago the majority of us would have been honest and agreed that we need more effective, and stringent testing in boxing; when you factor in the dangers of the sport, I think extra testing is worth the cost, and plus I want to be able to seperate the real champions from the cheaters.
who is going to pay for this??? why dont you people think for a change… a new up and coming boxer would subject himself in the early days of he’s career on randomized blood testing what 20 times a year if he fights 4 times a year….. you’v got to be kidding me no one is going to risk themselves in getting hurt..
and honestly who is going to pay for all this medical testing???
hey malignaggi shooting his mouth off about steroid use.. now that he’s fighting khan of GBP stable.. olympic style drug testing must be used.. OLYMPIC STYLE DRUG TESTING FOR MALIGNAGGI-KHAN.. bring that ‘blood’ over HERE!
The only people against stricter drug testing are Pactards because they need to justify Pac’s refusal to undertake it.
Everyone else with a rational mind wouldn’t blink at endorsing it.
In a recent news about blood testing done by Mayweather and Mosley…
“At the end of the day, USADA has no jurisdiction,” Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, told The Associated Press. “Like any medical test, if a fighter wants to do anything more than what we require, more power to them.”
Kizer said fighters can petition the commission to change its drug testing protocol, and Arum was open to doing that in December, before negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather unraveled.
Schaefer took that option to Mayweather’s team, but Kizer said they never responded.
“At the end of the day, this is about Pacquiao-Mayweather, and we’re not going to change our policies to help one fighter get a mind-game edge or another edge over another fighter,” Kizer said. “That being said, we have over the years revised and expanded our policy. We added steroid testing about nine years ago, out of competition testing a few years back.
“More drug testing is better, everyone would agree to that, but there is a limit.”
I would just also fight for 25 million.. why put a road block??
man people can say what they want 2 i think it should b the norm i dont care about the pac fans that say oh floyed is scared or what ever it’s ton’s of boxers that would take the testing because they have nothing 2 hide i look at it like if u cant step up 2 the plate get outta the ring so who’s really scared i dont box or like giving blood but u better no that i would do it 4 25mill and if u wouldnt ur just crazy flat out crazy
Could it be the norm?? Nope…. they would of done it a long time ago if that was the case…
Its only the norm in Mayweather’s world.. Once he retires.. Olympic style goes with him…
Sometimes things that are for the greater good, start out as minor contentions between people. PBF and Pac’s contention over the blood testing issue has brought worldwide visibility to this issue, in boxing, and may open the door to major acceptance of better drug testing methods in boxing. The minor contention between a woman in the “wrong” seat of a bus in Alabama and the driver of that bus, led to the Civil Rights movement. While these are not, in any way, the same issue, they both show that it sometimes takes for unsavory circumstances, to create neccessary change. Once these movements gain their own momentum, those opposed will simply be left behind. These chants of PBF was scared, he’s not the commission, etc., will begin to sound more childish than they already do, once more figures in the sport, begin to embrace this testing. Competitors in every sport, especially ones who put their lives at risk, should feel secure in knowing their peers are UNQUESTIONABLY CLEAN.
*Penalty for drug violation? match is cancelled, 2 years suspension.
*Penalty for weight violation? should be the same…
match is cancelled, 2 years suspension.
makes 10 million/lb penalty very lenient eh? poor Floyd.
Olympic Style Drug testing in boxing can be implemented on a VOLUNTARY basis and should not be imposed to any boxer. This is in the premise that at the present time, it is not a requirement by the boxing commission. Kudos to those who wants it but let there be no condemnation for those who don’t want it.
The commissions of every state should implement it as soon as possible to eliminate doubts and accusations without basis.
well done fugate i know you had it in you all along, i knew you can blog sensibly and better than just blogging while mayweather’s bal*s’ stuffed in your mouth. keep it up kid
I may not like Mayweather that much, but this is a good thing. Whatever bad motives Mayweather might have had doesn’t matter. Testing for PEDs is long overdue in boxing. I still can’t believe the Tysons and Holyfields were knocking people out while not undergoing such testing.
Really disappointed.
who cares? seriously, why this, why now, why all of a sudden??? this isn´t baseball where roids was rampant for years. nobody ever talked about doing this in boxing until floyd needed to pull something out of his @ss that he knew pac would not agree to.
Yeah, do it in baseball and football and the fricking olympics but since when has this been an issue??? Does anyone honestly think Gayweather is doing this because he´s a good guy and wants to clean up the sport, come on, give me a break.
Olympic style testing will never be instituted into boxing. There will be a push for blood testing I’m sure, but not at the frequency used for AMATEUR sports. There will be a better way, and when that’s found, it’ll be used across the sport.
across the board please.. not just for selected fight or only if a fighter asks for it.. they should implement this kind of testing across the board..
mayweather like him or not is right about random blood and drug tests in boxing because it’s different to other sports your health and life is on the line
Yes, Mayweather will be the committee.
It can not be just for major fights,it must be across the board,
up and coming fighters needs to be protected too.Besides if blood drawing can disrupt their training at the earlier part of
their boxing career it will when they are more popular.
There’s got to be a less invasive testing available.
it should become the regular and i think that pro’s should have to pay a fee in order to pay for the testing.