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Heading into this Saturday night’s bout in Puerto Rico, reigning interim WBA junior bantamweight titlist Nonito Donaire, who faces Hernan ’Tyson’ Marquez (live on Showtime, 9 PM ET/PT) had made a new addition to his team- Victor Conte. Yes, that Victor Conte, the man most associated with BALCO, who played key role in rewriting the baseball and track and field record book by making “The Clear” and “The Cream” a part of the sports lexicon. Most boxing fans recognize him as the guy who worked with an EPO-fueled Shane Mosley prior to his rematch with Oscar De La Hoya in 2003 and is still embroiled in a legal battle with him to this day.
But “The Filipino Flash” is part of a growing list of athletes and fighters who are willing to consult with Conte once again. Years after his BALCO operation was raided and eventually shut down, Conte is enjoying a renaissance in the recent years with his intermittent hypoxic training regimen and his line of SNAC products.
While others have been a bit hesitant to talk about their association with Conte, Donaire has no such reticence. Living in the same city of San Mateo (which is located in Northern California), they did business at the same bank and the gym he now trains out of, “The Undisputed Gym,” is just a few minutes from the SNAC headquarters in San Carlos. They had a mutual acquaintance in Mike Bazzel, who is Donaire’s strength-and-conditioning coach.
"He was saying we had this guy nearby; he’s a friend of mine and he does nutrition," recalled Donaire, of how he was first referred to Conte. "I was open to that idea and then he explained to me who he was. And I told everyone, for me, I’ve always been a type of person that right off the bat. I said, ’I don’t want any of that [illegal] stuff; I want everything to be fair. I want my fights won fairly and everybody makes mistakes and I talked to him; I got to know him. I just had a good vibe. He was explaining to me a lot about nutrition, scientific stuff, which was really cool.
"He seemed really cool. The first time we went, he was just a real nice guy and the more we kept meeting, the more we set up plans for stuff like the hypoxic training- the high altitude simulation. I took my blood test to see what was missing in my blood to keep me stronger. He was explaining to me all the scientific things about what my body needs through the results that he got. But most of all, he was just a great person to begin with. I told him, ’If I’m going to work with you, we’ll tell everyone that I am willing and ready to be taking any kind of tests that they want.’ Just because I’m working with Victor, I’m not playing an unfair game. To be honest, Victor is a very, very nice guy and I’m proud for them to be part of my team and for me to be a part of SNAC, to do their stuff and it makes a difference for me. He’s just been great for me."
Donaire believes so much in Conte’s regimen and supplements that he has already referred him to other world-class fighters. Other notable boxers that work with him are Andre Ward and Eddie Chambers. The blot of working once again with Conte seems to be lessening as times goes on.
From his office, Conte said a few weeks ago to Maxboxing, "I did this television interview a couple of days ago with Eddie Chambers and they asked him this question: Is he afraid about this stigma and had people been asking him questions? And his answer was, in his opinion, that Victor had paid his debt and I think know everyone has moved beyond that. He said when it came down to making the decision regarding working with me- and these are Eddie’s words and I felt very flattered that he said that- but he basically said why should I deprive myself of the opportunity to work with one of the best minds in sports? He said, ’I see the upside and it’s easy for me because I want that as part of my support team. So that’s something that’s in the past.’
"There have been- and I think in the world of boxing, Andre Ward was the first one that said I deserved a second chance- and then others, thereafter. Karim Mayfield was one; Steve and Eddie Chambers, I’ve helped them for their last two fights and now, Nonito."
Virgil Hunter, who trains Ward, said, "Being a Christian man, myself, I felt he paid his debt to society. I think he’s a man that boxing truly needs and I know a lot of people that say, ’Once a convict, always a convict’ and it’s unfortunate. I think he’s very sincere in his immediate endeavors to be an asset to the sport. I think the sport needs someone like him."
Ward utilizes SNAC products such as Vitalyze, ZMA and Aerobitine on a regular basis while training. There was a time when boxers eschewed such nutritional supplements, believing that all that was need to replenish the body was lots of water, three square meals and a B-12 shot a day before the fight. Hunter, who is 56, considers himself a blend of the old and new-school philosophy.
"Coming through an era of new technology and stuff, I’m definitely a believer in new technology," said Hunter, a native of Oakland, who says he was heavily influenced by the likes of Bobby Warren, Jimmy Simmons and Charlie Smith, trainers that he learned from as a youngster. "I think other sports do it and they try and prove the benefits of it. Athletics is big business now and I think it’s a trainer’s job to continually look for things that can improve his athlete. I’m definitely an advocate of that."
Hunter referred Conte to Rob Murray Sr., who handles the career of the Chambers brothers.
But others aren’t nearly as forgiving; to some, Conte will always be a pariah who simply has no place in professional or amateur sports. He understands that this is the price- along with the time he spent in federal prison- for his past transgressions.
"That’s something that I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I think it’s just the way it is. Some are unable to forgive. Andre’s a Christian guy; the whole basis of Christianity is forgiveness. So I feel very grateful to Andre because he was one of the first ones that we talked to and he said, ’Man-to-man, just promise that you’ll never give me anything that will be harmful or cause a positive drug test and that will be the last time I ask you that.’ And I think when someone leads the way, it makes it a bit easier for others," he says.
The fact of the matter is, anyone who consults with Conte and SNAC is probably under more scrutiny than their counterparts. You can expect it to be part of the deal.
"I’ve said that in the past, if there are clean athletes out there, it’s the ones working with me," said Conte. "Because they will, in fact, be target-tested. Marlon Byrd (of the Chicago Cubs), who’s having the best season of his career, he’s been among the leading batters National League. He told me, as a 32-year-old player, he had been tested about five times a year. The instant that we announced that he was working with me last season (as a member of the Texas Rangers), he was tested 11 times. So if you got nothing to hide and you’re clean, it’s a cost-to-benefit ratio and if the athlete believes there’s a benefit there in working with me, then they’re willing to pay that price. If it means having your blood drawn or giving a urine sample and dealing with that inconvenience, fortunately, they are willing to do that."
But “The Filipino Flash” is part of a growing list of athletes and fighters who are willing to consult with Conte once again. Years after his BALCO operation was raided and eventually shut down, Conte is enjoying a renaissance in the recent years with his intermittent hypoxic training regimen and his line of SNAC products.
While others have been a bit hesitant to talk about their association with Conte, Donaire has no such reticence. Living in the same city of San Mateo (which is located in Northern California), they did business at the same bank and the gym he now trains out of, “The Undisputed Gym,” is just a few minutes from the SNAC headquarters in San Carlos. They had a mutual acquaintance in Mike Bazzel, who is Donaire’s strength-and-conditioning coach.
"He was saying we had this guy nearby; he’s a friend of mine and he does nutrition," recalled Donaire, of how he was first referred to Conte. "I was open to that idea and then he explained to me who he was. And I told everyone, for me, I’ve always been a type of person that right off the bat. I said, ’I don’t want any of that [illegal] stuff; I want everything to be fair. I want my fights won fairly and everybody makes mistakes and I talked to him; I got to know him. I just had a good vibe. He was explaining to me a lot about nutrition, scientific stuff, which was really cool.
"He seemed really cool. The first time we went, he was just a real nice guy and the more we kept meeting, the more we set up plans for stuff like the hypoxic training- the high altitude simulation. I took my blood test to see what was missing in my blood to keep me stronger. He was explaining to me all the scientific things about what my body needs through the results that he got. But most of all, he was just a great person to begin with. I told him, ’If I’m going to work with you, we’ll tell everyone that I am willing and ready to be taking any kind of tests that they want.’ Just because I’m working with Victor, I’m not playing an unfair game. To be honest, Victor is a very, very nice guy and I’m proud for them to be part of my team and for me to be a part of SNAC, to do their stuff and it makes a difference for me. He’s just been great for me."
Donaire believes so much in Conte’s regimen and supplements that he has already referred him to other world-class fighters. Other notable boxers that work with him are Andre Ward and Eddie Chambers. The blot of working once again with Conte seems to be lessening as times goes on.
From his office, Conte said a few weeks ago to Maxboxing, "I did this television interview a couple of days ago with Eddie Chambers and they asked him this question: Is he afraid about this stigma and had people been asking him questions? And his answer was, in his opinion, that Victor had paid his debt and I think know everyone has moved beyond that. He said when it came down to making the decision regarding working with me- and these are Eddie’s words and I felt very flattered that he said that- but he basically said why should I deprive myself of the opportunity to work with one of the best minds in sports? He said, ’I see the upside and it’s easy for me because I want that as part of my support team. So that’s something that’s in the past.’
"There have been- and I think in the world of boxing, Andre Ward was the first one that said I deserved a second chance- and then others, thereafter. Karim Mayfield was one; Steve and Eddie Chambers, I’ve helped them for their last two fights and now, Nonito."
Virgil Hunter, who trains Ward, said, "Being a Christian man, myself, I felt he paid his debt to society. I think he’s a man that boxing truly needs and I know a lot of people that say, ’Once a convict, always a convict’ and it’s unfortunate. I think he’s very sincere in his immediate endeavors to be an asset to the sport. I think the sport needs someone like him."
Ward utilizes SNAC products such as Vitalyze, ZMA and Aerobitine on a regular basis while training. There was a time when boxers eschewed such nutritional supplements, believing that all that was need to replenish the body was lots of water, three square meals and a B-12 shot a day before the fight. Hunter, who is 56, considers himself a blend of the old and new-school philosophy.
"Coming through an era of new technology and stuff, I’m definitely a believer in new technology," said Hunter, a native of Oakland, who says he was heavily influenced by the likes of Bobby Warren, Jimmy Simmons and Charlie Smith, trainers that he learned from as a youngster. "I think other sports do it and they try and prove the benefits of it. Athletics is big business now and I think it’s a trainer’s job to continually look for things that can improve his athlete. I’m definitely an advocate of that."
Hunter referred Conte to Rob Murray Sr., who handles the career of the Chambers brothers.
But others aren’t nearly as forgiving; to some, Conte will always be a pariah who simply has no place in professional or amateur sports. He understands that this is the price- along with the time he spent in federal prison- for his past transgressions.
"That’s something that I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I think it’s just the way it is. Some are unable to forgive. Andre’s a Christian guy; the whole basis of Christianity is forgiveness. So I feel very grateful to Andre because he was one of the first ones that we talked to and he said, ’Man-to-man, just promise that you’ll never give me anything that will be harmful or cause a positive drug test and that will be the last time I ask you that.’ And I think when someone leads the way, it makes it a bit easier for others," he says.
The fact of the matter is, anyone who consults with Conte and SNAC is probably under more scrutiny than their counterparts. You can expect it to be part of the deal.
"I’ve said that in the past, if there are clean athletes out there, it’s the ones working with me," said Conte. "Because they will, in fact, be target-tested. Marlon Byrd (of the Chicago Cubs), who’s having the best season of his career, he’s been among the leading batters National League. He told me, as a 32-year-old player, he had been tested about five times a year. The instant that we announced that he was working with me last season (as a member of the Texas Rangers), he was tested 11 times. So if you got nothing to hide and you’re clean, it’s a cost-to-benefit ratio and if the athlete believes there’s a benefit there in working with me, then they’re willing to pay that price. If it means having your blood drawn or giving a urine sample and dealing with that inconvenience, fortunately, they are willing to do that."
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