by David P. Greisman
Lightweight prospect Mickey Bey Jr. was handed a three-month suspension and fined $1,000 today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for a highly elevated level of testosterone, according to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who tweeted the news.
Bey’s testosterone to epitestosterone ratio was greater than 30:1, according to Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Nevada rules allow for a maximum of 6:1.
Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said the commissioners considered Bey’s story in handing down this punishment, according to Lem Satterfield of RingTV.com.
“The reason that they gave him [Bey] a break on the suspension is that he went to the doctor about a month before the fight, and he told the doctor what he did for a living. He said that he couldn't take any performance enhancing substances,” Kizer was quoted as saying in a RingTV.com article.
“The doctor actually wrote that in her notes, but then, she went ahead and gave him the stuff. So it sounds like more of an issue with the doctor than the fighter,” Kizer said. “Two of the commissioners wanted him to do many more months of a suspension. They wanted to give him a break, but not that big of a break, but they were out-voted, 3-2.”
Bey fought Feb. 2 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, scoring a third-round knockout of Robert Rodriguez. But that bout is now a no contest, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. That means the boxers’ records are as they were beforehand: Bey is 18-0-1 with 9 knockouts and 1 no contest, while Rodriguez is 7-2 with 3 knockouts and 1 no contest.
Bey’s suspension will be considered as having begun the day of the fight, according to Rafael, which means it ends in early May.
David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter @fightingwords2 or send questions/comments via email at [email protected]
