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World Anti-Doping Agency president, John Fahey, broached the topic of random drug testing in boxing, as it relates to Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, and, Shane Mosley, during Monday's national conference call with reporters.
Fahey's comments were made at the conclusion of WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation Board meeting in Montreal.
Below are two of Fahey's responses to questions regarding the subject -- information that was provided by FanHouse reporter, A.J. Perez.
The doping standards vary greatly by the boxing commissions in each state. They refused to accept the WADA code and don't test blood or use the urine EPO test. What do you think has to be done to combat doping in boxing and mixed martial arts in North America?
John Fahey: We were delighted that the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight agreed to work with United States Anti-Doping Agency and to undertake a series of no-advance [warning] testing and urine and blood [tests] in the lead up to the fight.
We see time and time again that clean athletes have nothing to hide, therefore nothing to be scared of. So why wouldn't you ensure that integrity of the sport you are participating in be kept intact by virtue of undertaking this kind of scrutiny?
We hope that this particular step might encourage other boxers, promoters and the numerous organizations that control professional boxing worldwide to adopt a code-compliant approach and a code-compliant anti-doping program.
I stress that amateur boxing is code compliant and we are delighted that is the case. Amateur boxing is as an event in the Olympics and WADA has some 675 sports organizations that have become code-compliant.
There is talk and there is a growing momentum certainly through the debate with people like the Nevada [Athletic] Commission, or bodies like Nevada making statements that they are continuing to examine approach that might suggest a code-compliant [approach to] professional boxing.
Nevertheless, these various organizations are privately [run] in many instances and we can not mandate that. We encourage it to occur. I want to say that Mr. Mayweather particularly is a strong advocate. We have welcomed and applaud the statements he's made about his sport being clean, being doping free. We wish him every strength going forward because of that.
What do you think can be done to see other boxers take a similar position as Mayweather? Many want to see him fight Manny Pacquiao, who refuses to subject himself to the same type of testing done in Mayweather-Mosley. Some in the boxing and sports media have tried to belittle Mayweathers demands and see it as a ruse to unsettle Pacquiao.
Far be it for me to comment on the psychological approach one boxer might take to get an advantage over another other than to say I'd like to see that fight also. I think whole world out there is seeing as this as being one of the greatest events in boxing for decades. In that context, we hope that happens.
What are we doing? We are certainly encouraging [better standards]. We've got dialog in place as and when we can. We know the world body in charge of amateur boxing is continuing to talk to the various promoters and owners of certain titles.
More practically, USADA, who the supervising the Mayweather-Mosley program, are in dialog with a number of those parties in the United States. We would hope it progresses quickly. Again, it's one that persuasion only tool that can be used. We commend USADA for the efforts they are making in that area in the United States.
Fahey's comments were made at the conclusion of WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation Board meeting in Montreal.
Below are two of Fahey's responses to questions regarding the subject -- information that was provided by FanHouse reporter, A.J. Perez.
The doping standards vary greatly by the boxing commissions in each state. They refused to accept the WADA code and don't test blood or use the urine EPO test. What do you think has to be done to combat doping in boxing and mixed martial arts in North America?
John Fahey: We were delighted that the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight agreed to work with United States Anti-Doping Agency and to undertake a series of no-advance [warning] testing and urine and blood [tests] in the lead up to the fight.
We see time and time again that clean athletes have nothing to hide, therefore nothing to be scared of. So why wouldn't you ensure that integrity of the sport you are participating in be kept intact by virtue of undertaking this kind of scrutiny?
We hope that this particular step might encourage other boxers, promoters and the numerous organizations that control professional boxing worldwide to adopt a code-compliant approach and a code-compliant anti-doping program.
I stress that amateur boxing is code compliant and we are delighted that is the case. Amateur boxing is as an event in the Olympics and WADA has some 675 sports organizations that have become code-compliant.
There is talk and there is a growing momentum certainly through the debate with people like the Nevada [Athletic] Commission, or bodies like Nevada making statements that they are continuing to examine approach that might suggest a code-compliant [approach to] professional boxing.
Nevertheless, these various organizations are privately [run] in many instances and we can not mandate that. We encourage it to occur. I want to say that Mr. Mayweather particularly is a strong advocate. We have welcomed and applaud the statements he's made about his sport being clean, being doping free. We wish him every strength going forward because of that.
What do you think can be done to see other boxers take a similar position as Mayweather? Many want to see him fight Manny Pacquiao, who refuses to subject himself to the same type of testing done in Mayweather-Mosley. Some in the boxing and sports media have tried to belittle Mayweathers demands and see it as a ruse to unsettle Pacquiao.
Far be it for me to comment on the psychological approach one boxer might take to get an advantage over another other than to say I'd like to see that fight also. I think whole world out there is seeing as this as being one of the greatest events in boxing for decades. In that context, we hope that happens.
What are we doing? We are certainly encouraging [better standards]. We've got dialog in place as and when we can. We know the world body in charge of amateur boxing is continuing to talk to the various promoters and owners of certain titles.
More practically, USADA, who the supervising the Mayweather-Mosley program, are in dialog with a number of those parties in the United States. We would hope it progresses quickly. Again, it's one that persuasion only tool that can be used. We commend USADA for the efforts they are making in that area in the United States.
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