By Anson Wainwright
When BoxingScene.com spoke with Kubrat Pulev ahead of his heavyweight title fight with Wladimir Klitschko, Pulev was keen to talk about performance-enhancing drugs, specifically pointing out that he is tested regular by NADA while Klitschko only uses the German Boxing Association.
They were scheduled to fight on September 6th, but Klitschko withdrew on Monday with a biceps injury. The fight will be postponed until a date in November.
Here’s what the unbeaten Bulgarian had to say.
“Boxing is about integrity,” Pulev told BoxingScene.com. “Testing for performance-enhancing drugs helps to keep or even up the level of integrity.
“There are already a lot of fighters in the US, the UK and in Europe, who do those tests voluntary. Years ago, my promoter Sauerland Event signed a deal with the German [drug testing organization] NADA to have me tested on a 24/7 basis. Even if such a deal would not exist, I would pay to keep up this level of testing. This is the only way you can prove to the people, to the fans, that you are clean and free of doping.
“So when Wladimir Klitschko says that he only stands by the rules of the BDB (German Boxing Association), I see his point is to only provide a sample after the fight – the BDB does not call for anything else. However, what does this tell you about what Wladimir Klitschko thinks about the integrity of the sport of boxing?
“He, who is one of the biggest self-promoted boxers in the world. He, who even signed for a commercial with the German [group] NADA as one of their faces – is still the only one of those faces not having a deal with NADA to do 24/7 testing? I think you can answer this question yourself.”
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk and you can follow him at www.twitter.com/AnsonWainwright
