by David P. Greisman
Advanced drug testing was not part of the conversation when contracts were signed last week for the upcoming light heavyweight unification fight between Sergey Kovalev and Bernard Hopkins.
And one of the promoters involved in the fight believes that it should be up to the athletic commissions to handle drug testing in a sport that to this point is woefully behind in what drug testing is being conducted.
“You know, it hasn’t even been discussed,” said Kathy Duva of Main Events, when asked about the matter immediately after Kovalev’s win over Blake Caparello on Saturday night.
“I tend to personally believe that it’s the commission’s job to regulate,” she said. “That’s my own personal belief. But the subject hasn’t even come up. … I don’t know that either side is going to demand it. I think that commissions have to take the lead in that. I don’t necessarily believe that it’s up to boxing promoters to regulate. I think it’s a bad, bad way to go.”
She was then asked whether advanced drug testing should start somewhere, such as with the promoters, if the commissions aren’t conducting it.
“Again my personal belief is that we are not qualified to do it, and I have seen where promoters have done it, and there are situations where people agree to do it and the tests don’t even get done,” Duva said. “It’s ridiculous. I think that we’ve got two great fighters here, and I’m not going to assume they’re cheating.”
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