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Is There a Demand for Olympic-Style Drug Testing for Every Fight?
Thu 25-Nov-2010 10:05
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By Matthew Paras
After his win over Antonio Margarito, talks for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to fight could potentially resume. This would be the third time the two fighters could try to negotiate a fight between them but there has been a major obstacle that has gotten in the way. In the first two negotiations, the potential mega-fight fell apart due to the issue of implementing Olympic-style drug testing (OST). At the time of these negotiations, the controversy of participating in OST has sparked a debate among boxing fans whether these tests should take place for every fight. However, does the boxing world really want a better standard of drug testing?
In March, the New York State Athletic Commission was investigating if it was necessary to implement random blood testing for PEDs. Since then, the talk has quieted down and there have been no statements regarding whether or not the NYSAC is going to change their policies.
Even Golden Boy Promotions’ Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya have been quiet in the urge for the random blood testing since negotiations have fallen apart. When contacted, the company issued a “No comment.” When negotiations for Mayweather and Pacquiao were originally going on, Schaefer seemed to be a big supporter of better drug testing in boxing. It has the boxing world wondering if Golden Boy really wants to keep athletes safe or just wants Mayweather-Pacquiao to be made.
Perhaps the biggest supporter of better drug testing in all of sports is Travis Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). USADA implements the Olympic-style drug testing program and was involved in the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight, when the two chose to use a stricter style of drug testing.
Since then, Mayweather-Mosley is the only fight in the United States to have had OST. Recently, cruiserweights Marco Huck and Denis Lebedev have agreed to OST for their upcoming fight but the overall demand has been slim. It is unknown if Huck-Lebedev is the first of many fights to come with OST but it is doubtful. Tygart views that if boxing really wants changes in their drug testing systems, it was on the people in boxing.
“We’ve seen it in other professional sports in the US and to some extent in the Olympics but there has to be a crisis or there has to be leaders who do right for the purpose of doing the right thing,” explained Tygart. “If the entire boxing world wants better drug testing, then you have to ask the question, ‘Why aren’t they in place?’ It gets to the real reasons they don’t want to do it because they don’t want to take the risk.”
The risk Tygart refers to is the possibility of having a mega-fight canceled. If a fighter is caught using performance-enhancing drugs, they face a two-year suspension. On top of that suspension, promoters would lose millions of dollars based on the fight being called off.
Tygart has always stressed the benefits of OST. It not only insures athletes are clean but it has random blood testing, something that current boxing commissions do not do. Blood testing is a more efficient way to determine if boxers are using performance-enhancing drugs such as HGH (human growth hormones) or EPO (Erythropoietin).
Benefits of OST are there but there have been no changes in boxing. Besides a few individuals, no other fight or commission has taken upon incorporating a better drug testing program. It was only until November, when one fight was announced since Mayweather-Mosley had OST. It has been rare when the name “Mayweather” is not involved to demand for OST and if boxing is serious in making its policies better, then it better start
Thu 25-Nov-2010 10:05
--
--
By Matthew Paras
After his win over Antonio Margarito, talks for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to fight could potentially resume. This would be the third time the two fighters could try to negotiate a fight between them but there has been a major obstacle that has gotten in the way. In the first two negotiations, the potential mega-fight fell apart due to the issue of implementing Olympic-style drug testing (OST). At the time of these negotiations, the controversy of participating in OST has sparked a debate among boxing fans whether these tests should take place for every fight. However, does the boxing world really want a better standard of drug testing?
In March, the New York State Athletic Commission was investigating if it was necessary to implement random blood testing for PEDs. Since then, the talk has quieted down and there have been no statements regarding whether or not the NYSAC is going to change their policies.
Even Golden Boy Promotions’ Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya have been quiet in the urge for the random blood testing since negotiations have fallen apart. When contacted, the company issued a “No comment.” When negotiations for Mayweather and Pacquiao were originally going on, Schaefer seemed to be a big supporter of better drug testing in boxing. It has the boxing world wondering if Golden Boy really wants to keep athletes safe or just wants Mayweather-Pacquiao to be made.
Perhaps the biggest supporter of better drug testing in all of sports is Travis Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). USADA implements the Olympic-style drug testing program and was involved in the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight, when the two chose to use a stricter style of drug testing.
Since then, Mayweather-Mosley is the only fight in the United States to have had OST. Recently, cruiserweights Marco Huck and Denis Lebedev have agreed to OST for their upcoming fight but the overall demand has been slim. It is unknown if Huck-Lebedev is the first of many fights to come with OST but it is doubtful. Tygart views that if boxing really wants changes in their drug testing systems, it was on the people in boxing.
“We’ve seen it in other professional sports in the US and to some extent in the Olympics but there has to be a crisis or there has to be leaders who do right for the purpose of doing the right thing,” explained Tygart. “If the entire boxing world wants better drug testing, then you have to ask the question, ‘Why aren’t they in place?’ It gets to the real reasons they don’t want to do it because they don’t want to take the risk.”
The risk Tygart refers to is the possibility of having a mega-fight canceled. If a fighter is caught using performance-enhancing drugs, they face a two-year suspension. On top of that suspension, promoters would lose millions of dollars based on the fight being called off.
Tygart has always stressed the benefits of OST. It not only insures athletes are clean but it has random blood testing, something that current boxing commissions do not do. Blood testing is a more efficient way to determine if boxers are using performance-enhancing drugs such as HGH (human growth hormones) or EPO (Erythropoietin).
Benefits of OST are there but there have been no changes in boxing. Besides a few individuals, no other fight or commission has taken upon incorporating a better drug testing program. It was only until November, when one fight was announced since Mayweather-Mosley had OST. It has been rare when the name “Mayweather” is not involved to demand for OST and if boxing is serious in making its policies better, then it better start
What does everyone think?
I wrote this...
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