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Angel "Memo" Heredia outlines the current state of random testing in boxing
ANGEL HEREDIA DISCUSSES RANDOM DRUG TESTING IN BOXING: "IT'S A GOOD START...HOPEFULLY EVERYONE FOLLOWS UP"
Strength and Conditioning coach Angel Heredia's success with his fighters has been well documented. The achievements Heredia, as well as other S&C coaches, has attained often come with scrutiny, with many wondering if the methods they use are legal and don't include any banned substances. Heredia has heard this one too many times, but he's not bothered. Instead, he points to how he's had and will continue to have his fighters tested, encouraging random drug testing to prove that his fighters are clean.
"I really want to thank and give props to Floyd Mayweather and Al Haymon. They both are pushing very strongly to do more complete testing for boxing. And of course Badou Jack, he was randomly tested by USADA many times during the camp and that's good because we need that to happen in boxing," Heredia explained during a recent conversation with FightHype.com. "There are a lot of flaws in the testing that needs to be taken care of and I think Al Haymon and Floyd are really pushing for that and it's a good thing. Like I said, when you're a clean boxer and you do things right and you really do the science like you're supposed to and do it in a clean way, you can do great things. Badou overcame the odds completely. I mean, the casinos had him 9 to 1 before it dropped to 6 to 1 and he completely upset the odds."
Heredia looks to improve his fighters' strength, as well as punching power, and he says did just that with Badou Jack. As proof, he points to the newly introduced Premiere Boxing Champions punch impact measurement that rated Jack's punching impact significantly higher than Dirrell's during their fight in April. With random testing performed by USADA on both blood and urine samples, Heredia feels he showed you can increase a fighter's power and strength through proper science without using anything illegal. Although some people will always be skeptical about the testing, Heredia points out that his fighters are and will continue to undergo the type of random drug testing that includes a method which allows for samples to be available for future testings.
"Like I said, Paulie has been tested. Right now, he's getting tested. Badou Jack was tested. Juan Manuel Marquez was tested. And all of them were tested with the Bio Passport, which means they keep the data on the testing so they can always go back and retest the samples for 10 years; especially when it's done by USADA," explained Heredia. "Urine can always be retested for any new detectable methods not now available. WADA is doing that now, retesting 2008 samples to retest for new testable substances which weren't detectable then. It's a good technique to fight doping with substances not detectable then. Also with the blood passport, it enables testers to use any off values in blood to test directly for other substances, such as EPO, GH, and even blood transfusions."
Heredia explains all these things in hopes of making people understand what exactly is going on with the drug testing today. There are still some fighters testing positive for banned substances, so illegal activity is still very much prevalent, but Heredia notes that unlike some, he's doing his part to encourage all of his fighters to undergo continuous testing. "A lot of my athletes have been tested. How many boxers coaches out there don't get their athletes tested? Plenty. Al Haymon is the only one that's actually pushing for testing that all their boxers have to go through random testing. So it's a good thing and it's just a start. Hopefully it'll get better. At the end of the day, you have to understand I don't make the rules. I follow the rules. If anybody comes to me, even if it's Bob Arum or Oscar De La Hoya or anybody comes to me and says 'Angel, all your guys are going to be tested,' I'll say, 'That's fine.' There's nothing I can say and for me it's better that way because we want to show that all my athletes are clean."
As previously stated, Heredia is currently working with Paulie Malignaggi, getting him ready for his fight May 29th fight with Danny O'Connor as he hopes to show improvements in Malignaggi's overall strength and punching power. Heredia mentions his clientele isn't just limited to fighters as he also has worked with 50 cent, Mickey Rourke, and many other high profile people. He'll be a busy guy in the next few months and hopes random drug testing will be eventually adopted by everyone. "Right now, you have Floyd doing random testing. You got Pacquiao doing random testing. It's a good start. You have phenomenal athletes and two champions doing it and setting an example, so it's a good thing. Hopefully everyone follows up."
Courtesy of Fight Hype com.
Strength and Conditioning coach Angel Heredia's success with his fighters has been well documented. The achievements Heredia, as well as other S&C coaches, has attained often come with scrutiny, with many wondering if the methods they use are legal and don't include any banned substances. Heredia has heard this one too many times, but he's not bothered. Instead, he points to how he's had and will continue to have his fighters tested, encouraging random drug testing to prove that his fighters are clean.
"I really want to thank and give props to Floyd Mayweather and Al Haymon. They both are pushing very strongly to do more complete testing for boxing. And of course Badou Jack, he was randomly tested by USADA many times during the camp and that's good because we need that to happen in boxing," Heredia explained during a recent conversation with FightHype.com. "There are a lot of flaws in the testing that needs to be taken care of and I think Al Haymon and Floyd are really pushing for that and it's a good thing. Like I said, when you're a clean boxer and you do things right and you really do the science like you're supposed to and do it in a clean way, you can do great things. Badou overcame the odds completely. I mean, the casinos had him 9 to 1 before it dropped to 6 to 1 and he completely upset the odds."
Heredia looks to improve his fighters' strength, as well as punching power, and he says did just that with Badou Jack. As proof, he points to the newly introduced Premiere Boxing Champions punch impact measurement that rated Jack's punching impact significantly higher than Dirrell's during their fight in April. With random testing performed by USADA on both blood and urine samples, Heredia feels he showed you can increase a fighter's power and strength through proper science without using anything illegal. Although some people will always be skeptical about the testing, Heredia points out that his fighters are and will continue to undergo the type of random drug testing that includes a method which allows for samples to be available for future testings.
"Like I said, Paulie has been tested. Right now, he's getting tested. Badou Jack was tested. Juan Manuel Marquez was tested. And all of them were tested with the Bio Passport, which means they keep the data on the testing so they can always go back and retest the samples for 10 years; especially when it's done by USADA," explained Heredia. "Urine can always be retested for any new detectable methods not now available. WADA is doing that now, retesting 2008 samples to retest for new testable substances which weren't detectable then. It's a good technique to fight doping with substances not detectable then. Also with the blood passport, it enables testers to use any off values in blood to test directly for other substances, such as EPO, GH, and even blood transfusions."
Heredia explains all these things in hopes of making people understand what exactly is going on with the drug testing today. There are still some fighters testing positive for banned substances, so illegal activity is still very much prevalent, but Heredia notes that unlike some, he's doing his part to encourage all of his fighters to undergo continuous testing. "A lot of my athletes have been tested. How many boxers coaches out there don't get their athletes tested? Plenty. Al Haymon is the only one that's actually pushing for testing that all their boxers have to go through random testing. So it's a good thing and it's just a start. Hopefully it'll get better. At the end of the day, you have to understand I don't make the rules. I follow the rules. If anybody comes to me, even if it's Bob Arum or Oscar De La Hoya or anybody comes to me and says 'Angel, all your guys are going to be tested,' I'll say, 'That's fine.' There's nothing I can say and for me it's better that way because we want to show that all my athletes are clean."
As previously stated, Heredia is currently working with Paulie Malignaggi, getting him ready for his fight May 29th fight with Danny O'Connor as he hopes to show improvements in Malignaggi's overall strength and punching power. Heredia mentions his clientele isn't just limited to fighters as he also has worked with 50 cent, Mickey Rourke, and many other high profile people. He'll be a busy guy in the next few months and hopes random drug testing will be eventually adopted by everyone. "Right now, you have Floyd doing random testing. You got Pacquiao doing random testing. It's a good start. You have phenomenal athletes and two champions doing it and setting an example, so it's a good thing. Hopefully everyone follows up."
Courtesy of Fight Hype com.