The curious case of Jaime Munguia and his positive test following his May rematch victory over Bruno Surace has not had much play in the media.

Surace scored arguably the biggest shock of 2024 when, in December, he scored a one-punch sixth-round knockout of Munguia in Mexico. Five months later, in Riyadh, Munguia won the immediate rematch on points after 12 rounds.

Though Surace-Munguia II was contested in Saudi Arabia, the show was overseen by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC). The Board works hand-in-hand with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), but they were not involved with testing because the event featured only international fighters in a foreign territory. Consequently, it was VADA who tested the boxers.

If Sheeraz-Munguia happens it follows a similar pattern in boxing that fighters are returning from either bans or positive tests into some of the biggest possible fights and most lucrative opportunities. The minimal time served, if any, is deemed punishment enough and the gravy trains are expected to roll on not just as before, but in a more profitable fashion.

Boxing, at the top level, appears to enable these controversies. There are very few in boxing who have failed tests, served bans, and not come back to have their biggest fights. You don’t need a list here; you can look at the fighters who have failed dope tests and see the type of events they have returned in.

Mauricio Sulaiman, head of the WBC, told BoxingScene that once a fighter has served a ban, they cannot be punished again having served their time.

“Every person is entitled to a due process… Each case is different regarding substances, circumstances, and a long list of variables which are considered on each investigation… There are repercussions on each case… It would be very easy to portray the WBC as the police and to look at us as the good cop while committing injustices if we were not to conduct full investigations… Each situation is different, if you are banned and come back why would someone be again penalized? That is double jeopardy, that is unlawful… We are proud of what we do and stand tall with every single case we have processed.”

The case of Munguia is interesting for many reasons. 

The Mexican claimed his May 4 test produced a false positive, “caused by accidental contamination with pregnenolone, a legal, non-banned substance.”

As so many fighters do, Munguia took to social media to protest his innocence. 

His team asked for the B sample to be tested, though they rarely come back any different, and that was positive, too. 

At this point, several people in boxing and various outlets took it upon themselves to ‘clear’ Munguia – “after further review of the samples.” 

However, Dr Daniel Eichner, president of Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory [SMRTL], is a world-renowned anti-doping scientist and head of the most well-respected anti-doping lab – World Anti-Doping (WADA) accredited – and he was not consulted by the WBC, the BBBoC or UKAD about Munguia’s failed test. 

Had he been, observed one drug-testing expert, then Munguia’s team may not have got the result they wanted. Eichner’s assessment of it all was: “The positive test for this sample was based on the measurement of metabolites of testosterone-related steroids, which are unrelated to pregnenolone.

“Exposure to pregnenolone does not affect these targets. Use of pregnenolone alone does not result in a positive IRMS test.”

The WBC also became involved, even though Surace-Munguia II was not a WBC fight and in September they released a statement that started: “VADA notified Jaime Munguia and the WBC of an adverse analytical finding consistent with the exogenous origin of testosterone and its metabolites in a urine sample collected on May 4, 2025,” said the WBC.

The statement said that Munguia, in more than 100 tests, had never previously posted a positive and therefore: “The WBC considered the Adverse Finding to be a first offense.”

The WBC, in all-but exonerating Munguia, then said they “considered the following facts to be extenuating circumstances with respect to the measures taken in this case” and revealed how Munguia had supplied hair and nail samples, and he’d voluntarily taken a polygraph test. The fighter and his team said they would cooperate with the WBC moving forward, and Munguia “agreed to abide to the provisions of an Adjudication Agreement into which he and the WBC entered.”

Munguia had claimed that he had unknowingly taken four supplements that contained pregnenolone and his “unknowing ingestion” in the “contaminated supplements” caused the findings.

The team defending Munguia, Global Sports Advocates, issued a statement on their website that read: “Global Sports Advocates, a leading international sports law firm, successfully proved that what appeared at first blush to be a failed drug test was actually a false positive resulting from ingestion of a non-banned substance….

“Munguia appeared to test positive for metabolites of testosterone following his May 2025 victory over Bruno Surace in Saudi Arabia, a finding that threatened his reputation, career, and $3.9 million in fight earnings. Both his A- and B-samples flagged irregular results under the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) program, prompting reviews by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

Global Sports Advocates led the defense, coordinating with accredited laboratories, regulators, and independent experts to investigate the findings. Through extensive scientific analysis, GSA demonstrated that the positive result had actually been caused by a legal, non-banned substance called pregnenolone that Munguia unknowingly ingested by way of contaminated supplements on the day of the fight.”

The WBC said that Munguia’s team provided additional documentation as evidence to explain the adverse finding, although the organization’s own research revealed “there are also scientific publications that suggest that ingestion of pregnenolone is not considered a valid justification for Mr. Munguia’s Adverse Finding.”

Thus, in its summary, the WBC concluded they “could not determine with reasonable certainty the ultimate causal source of the Adverse Finding.”
This does not mean that they wholly accepted or endorsed the assertions of Team Munguia that it was a false positive.

“The WBC has a protocol to follow to attend every adverse finding,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told BoxingScene. “Each case is treated independently and includes a wide variety of processes with regards to the specifics of each case… At no moment was it treated as a false positive.” 

Consequently, the WBC ruled, Munguia would be on probation for a year from the date of the sample collection, that he would have to undergo additional random testing at his own expense during that period, and he would have to fund and enrol in a program designed by the WBC Nutrition Committee. If Munguia failed another test in the probationary period, he would “be suspended indefinitely without further inquiry if he tests positive during his probationary period.”

Munguia has this week applied to enrol in VADA testing - a little more than five months into his probationary period.

It is worth remembering again here, that while Munguia was in the Clean Boxing Program, Surace-Munguia II was not a WBC fight. 

Nor was the event overseen by UKAD. It was being monitored by the BBBoC and they adhere to all UKAD’s recommendations when it comes to bans, suspensions and punishments. But without UKAD’s involvement, the Board of Control has steered clear of the legal mess that would follow if they acted.

One boxing insider asked: “How can the British Boxing Board of Control act as a commission when they won’t adjudicate anti-doping results?”

The answer is simple: High-priced lawyers have paralysed boxing authorities and wrapped them up in bureaucratic red tape that takes months to clear and can only be done at an extortionate cost; The easiest and most cost-effective way of dealing with positive tests is to ignore them.

It is well-known that the boxers who can afford the best legal teams are often able to skirt punishments in the sport following a few rapid-fire letters from a top attorney.

Even some of the drug-testing administrators – who are a force for good – have had legal threats, as well as personal, fired their way by overzealous lawyers who know all-too well that the best form of defense his to go on the front foot. It is worth noting here, too, that the fight’s result still stands as a Munguia win despite the fact that it has been proven he had performance enhancing drugs in his system at the time of the fight.

One member of Surace’s team was asked whether the result could be overturned and they simply said: “No, they said it was a mistake.”

So the little guys in this sport have to take their medicine.

Surace is training, ticking over in Dubai and waiting for another opportunity.

One boxing source said it is a damning indictment in the current scene of boxing as a whole, at every level, from administrative to journalistic and that it represents a catastrophic failure from the authorities.

“How is this an adequate adjudication when you just listen and accept a fighter’s explanation without any investigation,” they said.

“Why are these so-called journalists just trying to do puff-pieces to placate a fighter or his team when this was a very serious situation. They have so-called blood on their hands for actually contributing to doping in the future. So they continue to have credentials and access to the fighter and his team?”

They laid the blame at the door of the BBBoC and believed that SELA had “tried to do the right thing” and that SELA has “taken a strong stand against anti-doping.”

Another official claimed that Munguia working with Team Canelo was enough for the WBC to “essentially trash their own program” but 2025 has not been a banner year for the WBC, clean boxing, their program, or Hispanic fighters with WBC links.

Earlier this week, the WBC moved to lift Ryan Garcia’s suspension after his positive tests in April 2024 against Devin Haney.

Garcia had been suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission for a year and came back to fight Rolly Romero for the WBA welterweight belt in May. 

Garcia was dropped and listless in a 12-round decision defeat and his next fight could again be at welterweight but against WBC champion Mario Barrios, despite being 0-1 at the weight, thus making it his second title shot since returning from a drug ban.

“The WBC Board of Governors has voted in favor of lifting the suspension on Ryan Garcia after his successful and documented process,” said WBC president Sulaiman, in a statement. “The WBC has been very close to Ryan, his family, his management team, and promoter, and we are confident that he will start a new life inside and outside the ring. We welcome you with open arms and trust that you will be an ambassador for the new generation.”

Sulaiman was asked by BoxingScene whether he felt the WBC favored Hispanic fighters. “Not sure who in fact believes this or how you reach the conclusion that there is a wide belief of such accusation,” he replied. 

“The WBC stands solid and firm with the WBC Clean Boxing Program; My response to you which you can share with whomever believes the WBC favors Hispanic fighters is simple… Why not praise the WBC for being the only sanctioning organization with a thorough anti-doping program? We spend a large amount of money in testing, administration of the program, awareness programs etc worldwide.

“It is ridiculous to attack of favoritism to Hispanics…. Every single case is independently handled under a protocol dealing with the specifics of the case… So Conor Benn, Alycia Baumgardner, Bermane Stiverne and other fighters who have been cleared are Hispanic?” 

Meanwhile, Francisco Rodriguez was last week installed as the WBC’s No. 1 ranked flyweight who inflicted an almighty beating on poor Galal Yafai in England in June. 

Rodriguez set new CompuBox records for his output in the fight and, on the night of the bout – one of only two tests BoxingScene understands the fighters took for that contest – the stimulant heptaminol, which is known to boost an athlete’s stamina, was discovered in Rodriguez’s sample.

Parties involved were informed about the Rodriguez finding on July 8. 

Less than three weeks later, the WBC posted a statement that Rodriguez and his team had told them it was “non-intentional” and that he’d accidentally used an over-the-counter “energy booster” containing two banned substances (he only tested positive for one). 

In their findings, the WBC said of the “energy booster” that “Mr. Rodriguez ingestion of a banned substance(s) was accidental, unintentional, unknowing, and not directed to enhance his performance.”

The fighter would also have to go on a 12-month probation period and that “VADA shall arrange for Mr. Rodriguez to undergo a minimum of three random tests at his own cost and expense during the probationary period.”

Well, as reported by BoxingScene’s Jake Donovan, Rodriguez returned in Mexico late last month to defeat Jesus Faro in Guadalupe in two rounds.

Former Olympic champion Yafai hasn’t boxed following a fight that has those close to him wondering how much the beating has taken from his career – after just 10 pro fights. VADA has not tested Rodriguez since the Yafai fight – which is still listed as a loss on the Englishman’s record and he has been allowed to fight again without subsequent adjudication. So, since his failed test, he hasn’t been tested by VADA, boxed again and won, and has moved up in the ratings. 

A UKAD investigation is ongoing, although they decline to comment on individual cases because they are conducted confidentially. Rodriguez was stripped of the interim title he ‘won’ against Yafai and the belt was awarded to Yafai. However, the result on BoxRec stands as a Rodriguez victory.

BoxRec will only change results if the commission who regulated the event tells them to.

“[The] Munguia fight was not a WBC sanctioned bout consequently we have no intervention on the matter,” said Sulaiman.

One can sympathise with Sulaiman. As he correctly points out, he is one of the few doing anything about it at all. Unfortunately for him, that means he is often the only one answering the hard questions when drug-related incidents occur. Sulaiman needs help, as does VADA, from other promoters, from the few networks left and from the other sanctioning bodies.

The Board, though far from blameless, does not have the support required either.

“Munguia is done,” affirmed the BBBoC’s Robert Smith, drawing a line under the matter. “It wasn’t the WBC who cleared him. 

“Rodriguez is still ongoing. UKAD are dealing with that.”

The role of UKAD is an important one - or it should be. For now, however, their role is unclear. Is it their remit to test foreign fighters overseas? Is it their responsibility to police those fights? And can they do it in a timelier manner?

When Jose Felix Soto tested positive following his fight with Lewis Crocker in January 2024, his five-year ban did not start until three months later.

Rodriguez was back in action four months after Yafai and before UKAD had offered any kind of public statement on the matter.

Since BoxingScene began work on this investigation and asked questions, both Munguia and Rodriguez have requested to enrol in drug-testing procedures once more.

With so many positives taking place in the sport, the authorities should be working together more closely to take responsibility over positive tests. 

Questions from journalists are routinely met by a defensive hostility when you would imagine the authorities would be desperate to be seen as trying to create a safer environment for sport and the athletes. 

They should be joining hands with commissions worldwide and forming a tight set of guidelines, including suspensions, bans and wellness policies. 

But here we are in this, the wild west of sports, the red-light district we all brag about and a sport/business that, while never being conducive to being on the B-side, has never apparently wanted a more lopsided playing field than it does today.