By Dan Ambrose: On Thursday, it was revealed that former IBF super middleweight champion had tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine from the post-fight drug test on April 30 following the 36-year-old Bute’s 12 round draw against WBC 168lb champion Badou Jack at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.
It was Bute’s ‘A’ sample that tested positive for the drug. Bute made a statement on Thursday, saying he’s surprised at testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine, and he doesn’t understand how he could have tested positive. Bute believes that the sample ‘B’ will vindicate him by showing negative for the banned drug.
It would a huge positive for Bute if he does test negative for the drug because it would help him escape a lot of heat that’s on him right now due to the positive drug test.
”I am surprised and sorry about this. I don’t understand what led to this positive result, Bute said. “I have always passed every anti-doping test that I was asked to take since I won a world title. More recently for my fight against James DeGale, in Quebec City, last November, I was tested eight times from before my training camp until after my fight. I have never taken any illegal products. I have a complete trust in my team. There will be an analysis of the B sample and I am sure that this result will be negative.”
Bute’s ‘B’ sample will be tested shortly and the results made public. If this tests positive too for Ostarine, then it’s going to be difficult for Bute to explain it away. Even taking a lie detector test may not work for Bute. It didn’t work for WBA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne, who recently tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol. Both Browne’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ samples tested positive for the drug, and he was stripped of his WBA title on May 13. Browne was suspended for six months.
If Bute’s ‘B’ sample tests positive too for Ostarine, it’s going to be difficult for him to be able to get out from facing some kind of penalty.
“It’s cheating,” said Jack via ESPN.com about Bute’s positive drug test. “This is the hurt business. You can die in the ring. It’s bad. I like [Bute] as a person. He’s a nice guy, but that’s not cool at all. You put your life on the line every time you step in the ring and your opponent is cheating? You can die. Anything can happen in boxing.”