By Luis Sandoval
Despite the battle going on with Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley regarding the random drug testing and 10 pound rehydration clause, Bob Arum was able to shed some light on how the drug testing will be conducted for this fight.
All major fights that have incorporated random style drug testing up until now have used an outside agency with either USADA or VADA getting the call. Arum has long told this scribe that he never believed the promoter should be involved and it should be the commission who should be in charge of having the testing done should the fighters request it. Top Rank’ CEO and founder’s stance has not changed and in fact, he will finally put his plan into use.
“The drug testing is going to be done random drug testing run by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It’s going to be as stringent as any drug testing of USADA and VADA but it will be done under a legitimate regulatory authority. Not the promoter, not somebody that works for the promoter; but the state commission and they have agreed. They will get all the reports and everything” Arum would inform BoxingScene.
The furthest Arum will be involved in the testing is footing the bill in order for the state commission to be able to have the testing administered. He will not be receiving any reports or results from the lab as those will go directly to the commission and if a positive test is found, the commission will rule on the matter.
“It’s wrong for the promoter to be involved - except to pay for it - and its wrong for these organizations without any authority to be doing it because all you do is cause confusion. Now God forbid somebody comes up positive and the commission is handling it then the commission rules whatever way the commission rules” said Arum.
In essence, the state commission will take the place of USADA or VADA and have the samples drawn and tested at their own labs. It was pointed out to Arum by Gabriel Montoya that some of the commissions - in this case Nevada- use labs that don’t test as extensively and for substances that other labs used by VADA do.
“So maybe they'll use another lab. They said to me, as long as I pay for it, they will do testing as extensive if not more so than those organizations do. If that means using another lab, they have no contracts with the labs they are they are using [so they can use other labs].”
There’s a huge conflict of interest with promoters being the ones contracting the agencies and getting the results with the way things are currently done. Arum’s way of doing things seems like a good solution as it all falls solely on the commission.
“This is the only solution for this drug testing. Otherwise there is no solution. Otherwise you have crazy sh*t like what happened in Brooklyn with Erik Morales because there's no state authority. I'm a lawyer; I understand what state authority means. Now, the commission talks on the basis of state authority. It’s a legally authorized regulatory body and they have to handle everything regarding a fight. And if the fighters want drug testing, they're the ones that should do it. They can't do it half ass; they have to do it real”.
You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @Truewest007. You can also tune in to BoxingScene Radio, Boxingscene’s official audio show every Tuesday from 6-8PM PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval, and Ryan Burton.
