By Chris Willamson
In the latest in BoxingScene.com's series investigating boxing's Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) problem, we put a number of questions to Francisco Varcarcel, President of the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning body. Varcarcel did not answer them directly, but he did arrange for BoxingScene to speak with long-time WBO Executive Member and First Vice President, John Duggan.
Mauricio Sulamain's World Boxing Council (WBC) recently revealed to BoxingScene its planned “Clean Boxing Program” requirements, where champions and the top 15 contenders in each division will be tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
Duggan explains that since “The WBO doesn't have jurisdiction to a drug testing program,” it's approach is instead to work closely in helping each member country implement effective PED testing measures, which Duggan says are ultimately responsible for implementing and overseeing the testing approach.
“The WBO is a private not for profit non-governmental organisation,” he said. “Its primary purpose is in sanctioning championship matches. The commissions are the primary authority (with regards safety, PED testing etc). The WBO stance (on drug testing) is to ensure we don't do anything which is duplication of or conflicting with the host commission. For example, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) is a host commission which tests with professionalism and a high degree of accuracy.”
Duggan moves on to candidly highlight more practical obstacles to the organisation themselves sponsoring a separate program: “The cost of WADA (for example) exceeds our (WBO) annual budget. We don't have the capacity or confidence to undertake it ourselves. When you separate the authority from the expertise, the result is often catastrophic.”
Duggan explained that the WBO works to ensure a degree of consistency across a range of host commissions which the organisation groups into three broad categories:
1) The “British model”, with a privately regulated body overseeing the sport (Britain, Germany, Hungary)
2) The “governmental model”, where combat events must be licensed, organised and supervised by a state agency (USA, Canada, Mexico)
3) “Unregulated model”, where the event promoter is responsible for virtually all aspects of the event, including official selection and medical safety
“All (WBO) members have doping protocols,” he explained. “Each world champion is tested multiple times per year. Anti-Doping and fair competition is a top priority of WBO Members and Participants. Each National Commission active in the WBO conducts sophisticated drug testing and has Anti-Doping as a top priority. Each WBO Congress involves the National Commissions exchanging ideas, practices and policies on Anti-Doping.”
I ask how confident the WBO is with the level of testing currently performed. “Well, the host commissions use WADA certified testing labs, and I've been to see them, observe and supervise,” Duggan responds.
What about the evidence suggesting PEDs are often taken well in advance of the event and no longer present in the athletes body by the time of an event? “Well the really smart, or should I say really diabolical ones, will find a way (to cheat),” answered Duggan. “With year round testing there are some privacy concerns for the boxers. The host commission undertakes testing before or after the event.”
I ask if out-of-competition testing is part of the plan in tackling the problem. “It's not part of our program,” Duggan replied. “Although if one of our commissions were to undertake it for a particular fight, we would support them, and it's becoming more common for VADA (or a comparable voluntary testing body) to be included as contractual term as contestants and broadcasters seek assurances of drug free competition.”
Duggan also highlights the example of Nonito Donaire in agreeing to year round VADA testing. He said: “VADA operates a voluntary program that WBO participants may utilize, and our (WBO) 2012 Boxer of the year Nonito Donaire was the first boxer in the world to complete in VADA testing. His (open and proactive) example adds to his stature and (provides an) example of clean competition.”
I ask about the severity of punishments handed to offenders and what if any additional powers the WBO has. “The punishment is (again) down to the commissions”, says Duggan, “but of course the consequence (of a failed test for a champion) is to be stripped of the title, and if you fail the test you're disqualified (DQ) and you lose the fight, provided the opponent (doesn't test positive also).”
I highlight occasions where a positive PED test resulted in fights either not being overturned or in No Contest (NC) rather than a DQ results. For example, Erkan Teper's recent “win” over David Price (the German BDB ruled it a no contest after Teper's positive PED result, while the EBU maintains the original result, albeit with the title made vacant) and, going back further, James Toney's WBA Heavyweight “win” over John Ruiz, ruled a No Decision (ND) by the NYSAC following Toney's positive test.
“Well the typical sanction (for a failed test) is a DQ,” stated Duggan, who then went on to discuss the WBO's publicised “Kid's drug free program”.
“It's a process where the objective is for champions to encourage youth not to participate in drugs,” he explained. “The kids make a pledge with the champion and have a photo with them, which the children get to keep.”
On which boxers have been particularly active in the program, Duggan adds: “(Miguel) Cotto was very generous with his time in Puerto Rico, as was Juan Manuel Lopez. (Istvan) Kovacs (former WBO featherweight champion) was terrific in Hungary. Joe Calzaghe spent many days (doing it) in Wales and Chris Eubank participated actively.
“Manny Pacquiao was a very active champion with this stuff and of course has a tremendous reach in the Philippines. We had some great Mexican fighters like Marco Antonio Barrera involved down in Mexico, as was (Antonio) Margarito. (Sergei) Kovalev was very active in Florida when he was training down there. Most of the guys want to participate in these programs because there's no commercial part to it, it's a very simple, pure way to try to get this message across to the kids.”
Questioning what, apart from the fight against PED's, is currently a high priority for the WBO, Duggan replies: “To encourage good judging! We really must encourage judges to reward good boxing and not just slugging.”
Duggan singles out Guillermo Rigondeaux as an example of a fine boxer and I tell him of my intention to watch him live next week in Cardiff, Wales. “Watch him closely!” he said. “He will barely get hit and he hits harder than people give him credit for.”
As we finish the interview so Duggan can join friends and family at Independence Day celebrations home in Illinois, USA, he concluded by saying: “I think there is less (drug taking) in boxing than many sports, but I'm by no means naive about it.”
Note: The Sunday Mirror, a British newspaper, reported in June that World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury had traces of a banned anabolic steroid found in a sample taken in 2015, prior to winning the title. UK Anti-Doping continue to investigate. The WBO told me that: “With regards to allegations of PED use, we prefer to wait for the investigation of (the) pertinent authority before making any determination.”
