Last year, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was slated to fight Danny Jacobs at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 20. But on October 24, Chavez refused to provide a urine sample to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), which had been asked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to test both Chavez and Jacobs for illegal performance enhancing drugs.
On October 30, the NSAC placed Chavez on temporary suspension pending the result of a November 20 commission meeting. On November 20, by unanimous vote of the commission, the temporary suspension was extended until resolution of a disciplinary action that had been brought by the commission against Chavez for his failure to submit to the test. Promoter Eddie Hearn then moved the Jacobs-Chavez fight card from Las Vegas to Phoenix.
Thereafter, Chavez filed a civil action in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Nevada seeking to stop the NSAC from proceeding with any disciplinary action against him. On December 17, 2019, the Court granted Chavez’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevented the NSAC from proceeding with such action.
On January 15, 2020, the NSAC filed a Motion to Dissolve the TRO. In response, Chavez filed a countermotion seeking to have the TRO changed to a preliminary injunction. On March 5, 2020, the NSAC filed a Motion to Dismiss Chavez's case in its entirety.
Legal argument on the motions was heard by the Honorable Jim Crockett via conference call on Tuesday, April 28. The NSAC was represented by Senior Deputy Attorney General Edward Magaw. Chavez was represented by Ross Goodman. At the close of argument, Judge Crockett granted the NSAC’s Motion to Dissolve the TRO as well as its Motion to Dismiss Chavez's case and denied Chavez’s Countermotion.
In doing so, the Court ruled that the NSAC had jurisdiction over Chavez to request the drug test and to proceed with disciplinary action against him after his refusal to submit to the test. A written court order is expected within two weeks.
This frees the NSAC to pursue disciplinary action against Chavez and bolsters the commission's recent efforts to combat the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in boxing.
Thomas Hauser's email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – A Dangerous Journey: Another Year Inside Boxing – was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. He will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the Class of 2020.
