By Jake Donovan

From the moment the fight was announced as a done deal, fans and media have clamored over the June 4 super featherweight title clash between Francisco "El Bandido" Vargas and Orlando "Siri" Salido.

The bout has once again made headlines, though carrying a bit more taint than event handlers would prefer.

Multiple sources have confirmed to BoxingScene,com that there is validity to the news leak of Vargas' "A" sample showing evidence of Clenbuterol in his sample, with such results produced by random drug testing as conducted by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). The development does not (yet) jeopardize the status of the fight, as drug test results are not official until either the "B" sample is tested - upon request and at the expense of the affected athlete - and comes back positive, or if said athlete declines to have the "B" sample tested, in which case the "A" sample test result is deemed final.

News of Vargas' status was first mentioned by Gabriel Montoya of LeaveItInTheRing.com.

Neither Salido nor the staff at Zanfer Promotions wished to comment on the subject, although one team member laughed at the irony.

Vargas' team had demanded random drug testing, pointing to Salido's past history of banned substances including a 2006 win-turned-No-Decision versus Robert Guerrero when traces of Nandrolone was found in his system.

"They called us cheaters, but we agreed to testing and Siri has proven to be a clean fighter," noted one team member, although stopping well short of insisting Vargas' "B" sample will also produce a positive result. "For now, we remain in training camp as if the fight is still on as we have no reason to believe at this present time that the fight will be canceled."

Golden Boy Promotions addressed the issue in the form of a company statement:

“As part of a voluntary testing program that Francisco Vargas requested ahead of his June 4 fight, he tested positive for clenbuterol. Francisco believes he tested positive due to ingesting contaminated meat in Mexico where clenbuterol is commonly used by ranchers in livestock feed. The Associated Press reported this week that this practice may impact athletes throughout the country ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

“Francisco has, is and will always be a clean fighter. That is why he insisted on this voluntary testing program ahead of the first defense of his WBC championship. He previously tested clean as part of this same voluntary testing regiment and in all of his previous fights. He will immediately leave Mexico to finish his training camp in the US in order to avoid any possible repeat of this situation and is fully cooperating with the California State Athletic Commission to submit to all required testing ahead of his June 4 title defense.”

Vargas (23-0-1, 17KOs) is due to make the first defense of the super featherweight title he claimed in heroic fashion. The 31-year old from Mexico City rallied from an earlier knockdown, facial cuts and grotesque swelling to score a 9th round technical knockout of exiting champ Takashi Miura in their instant classic last November in Las Vegas. The bout was hailed as 2015 Fight of the Year by several outlets, including BoxingScene,com.

However, Vargas was forced to celebrate in physical rehabilitation mode, as the cuts sustained in the fight were severe enough to where he didn't gain clearance to return to the ring for contact sparring until late in the first quarter of 2016.

Salido (43-13-3, 30KOs) in in pursuit of a fifth title reign spanning two weight classes. The three-time featherweight titlist managed to conquer a second weight class in his own Fight of the Year entrant, stopping Terdsak Jandaeng in the 11th round of their Sept. '14 super featherweight slugfest that featured seven total knockdowns. His reign was one-and-done, dropping a close but clear decision to Roman "Rocky" Martinez last April on the road in Puerto Rico. Efforts to reclaim his best were denied by the judges in their rematch last September in Las Vegas, where Salido outworked Martinez over 12 rounds but was forced to settle for a split decision draw.

The two were in negotiations for a third fight, only for the negotiations to drag out long enough to force the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to step in and instead order Martinez to face mandatory challenger Miguel Berchelt.

That fight fell through - a subject that was previously reported in full detail by BoxingScene.com - but the ordered fight sparked a movement for Salido to land a crack at Vargas' World Boxing Council (WBC) 130-pound crown.

The wish was granted, but everyone involved - as well as the fans anxiously looking forward to what was targeted as a surefire Fight of the Year candidate - is now forced to play the waiting game.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Follow him on his shiny new Twitter account: @JakeNDaBox_v2