New Organization to Administer Drug Testing for Ortiz-Berto

[Evil Abed]

A new organization headed by former ringside doctor, Margaret Goodman, will administer random drug testing for the Showtime-televised rematch between RING No. 3-rated welterweight Victor Ortiz and RING No. 4-rated counterpart Andre Berto, who will meet on Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

According to a story on MaxBoxing.com, Ortiz and Berto will be randomly tested for blood and urine by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), which is headed Goodman.

Lou DiBella, promoter for Berto (28-1, 22 knockouts), first announced last week that a new organization would be doing its inaugural testing for Berto's return bout with Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs), although DiBella did not name the group at the time.

DiBella said that the random drug testing would follow the same protocols as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

"There's an initiative being done by [former Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physicians] Margaret Goodman and Flip Homansky and some others that made this more affordable and done in the same exact way, so we're exploring that," said DiBella.

"And assuming that it's what we believe that it is, we'll being doing it with that group because it's affordable, and it also makes a statement to future meaningful fights that it's now affordable and can be done in a cost-effective manner and there's really no economic impediment to doing it."

WBC welterweight beltholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the first boxer to mandate random drug testing of blood and urine for his past two victories over RING No. 10-rated welterweight Shane Mosley and Ortiz in May of last year and in September. Mayweather scored a unanimous-decision victory over Mosley, and a fourth-round stoppage that dethroned Ortiz as WBC beltholder.

The 28-year-old Berto dethroned Jan Zaveck as IBF welterweight titleholder by fifth-round knockout in September, stopping Zaveck for the first time in Zaveck's career. The victory helped Berto to rebound from losing his WBC belt to the 24-year-old Ortiz in April, a unanimous decision during which the winner was dropped in the second and sixth rounds, and Berto was floored in the first and sixth.

Against Ortiz, Berto complained of a lack of stamina, and was hospitalized with dehydration afterward. Berto credited a new relationship with controversial BALCO founder, Victor Conte, for re-energizing his workouts in prepraration for Zaveck. After examining Berto's blood samples, Conte found that the fighter to be overtrained and severely anemic.

The presence of Conte, however, aroused su****ion in the camp of Ortiz, whose manager, Rolando Arellano, told ******.com tha he will "demand Olympic-style drug testing" before a deal is reached.

Now, it appears that Arellano's wishes will be realized, as will those of the Berto camp.

"It would be the same protocol as USADA, with complete medical professionals handling it. We're working on those details now, and there were no issues with it. We wanted it, Ortiz had no problem with it, [Ortiz's promoter] Golden Boy had no problem with it, and so it's not an issue," said DiBella.

"It's very expensive if you do it with USADA, but it's a fraction of that if we do it through this initiative that Margaret and Flip are proposing. We haven't done a deal yet as to which officials will actually do the testing, but the testing will be Olympic style. It will be USADA testing. It will be testing of blood and urine. I feel that we need it across the board. I think that it should happen, period"

Ring TV .com

[jrosales13]

Margaret Goodman, knows what she's talking about. She has been advocate about better testing since back in 07. Before anyone even made an issue of better testing.

In the infamous tell-all, Juice, Jose Canseco writes, "Steroids, used correctly, will not only make you stronger and ***ier, they will also make you healthier. Steroids will give you a better quality of life and also drastically slow down the aging process.”

The former Bash Brother hasn’t exactly drawn praise for his integrity but his best-seller did help blow the lid off a scandal that’s far from simmered. From Barry Bonds to Carl Lewis, accusations (and evidence) have been tossed around like Frisbees. Lost in the finger-pointing is the issue Canseco raises: Properly used, do performance-enhancing drugs create better, healthier athletes?

One look at the list of offenders – those caught red-handed and others who confessed – suggests many top athletes have dabbled in these new school “uppers.” For the most part, boxing’s drug habit has flown under the radar. But numbers don’t lie: Frans Botha, Roy Jones Jr., Fernando Vargas and James Toney are some of the bigger names who’ve tested positive. Retired heavyweights Tommy Morrison and Bob Hazelton have admitted use. Shane Mosley was the only boxer called to testify before a grand jury in the BALCO scandal; a southern Cali outfit famous for its designer enhancers—sweet science, indeed.

Complicating matters is the increasing popularity of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Often called the "Fountain of Youth," it rapidly decreases injury recovery time and aids muscle gain. Because it’s produced by the body’s pituitary gland, it’s also hard to discern the percentage caused by natural emission and the amount taken externally. Not that it matters; while some applaud the sweet science for remaining a stripped-down, pure contest, the game’s medical practices belong in the Stone Age.

“Most states don’t test for steroids,” says Dr. Margaret Goodman, former Nevada Chief Ringside Physician and Chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board. “In Nevada, we test fighters on championship cards. In New Jersey, they test every fighter for steroids. If we’d do what’s done in the Olympics or what the World Anti-Doping Agency recommends – sporadically test them during training – that would really be the best way. But if you check them right before or after a fight, they’ll test negative. Boxers are just as smart as anyone else and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to go online and look at how long a certain drug stays in your system.”

The smart ones cycle their drugs carefully, others opt for HGH. Vargas tested positive for Winstrol, an anabolic steroid known to increase strength without excess muscle gain. It may have helped his training but it didn’t do much for his chin. Toney claimed Nandrolone, the substance found in his system following the Ruiz bout, was a by-product of post-surgery meds for his torn biceps. Many sided with him; his roomy figure suggests the only thing he knowingly ingested were Big Macs. Or, as Toney said, “If I’m on steroids, every steroid company is going out of business.” We might have believed him – had he not tested positive a second time earlier this year.

“Part of the problem is that we rely too much on the visual,” says Dr. Goodman. “The purpose of steroids is not to put on weight or look muscular, it’s to help train more often and fend off injuries. But these fighters are just not believable; they know they’re getting something. There aren’t too many reasons why a fighter goes through changes in their physical appearance or in their ability to recover from an injury. That just doesn’t happen on its own.”

But is it wrong for an injured fighter to use steroids for quicker recovery? Doctors prescribe it for muscle tears, anemia and to help control breast cancer. Most sports emphasize the harmful side-effects: short-term use in men can cause acne, breast development, and a decrease of testosterone and ***** production. Masculine features such as facial hair growth are common in women. Both ***es are prone to fluid retention, increased irritability and aggression but for men, most of the short-term symptoms are reversible once he stops using. Women are subject to more permanent effects.

Studies on long-term use are, at best, questionable. While a dizzying amount of animal testing has been done, the number of human cases is negligible – and varies by lifestyle. Still, there have been incidents of liver damage, baldness, heart attacks, blood clots, violent behavior and premature death. In 1992, footballer Lyle Alzado, a two-time All-Pro died at 43 of a rare brain cancer. Alzado believed his steroid abuse and HGH led to the illness. His doctors vehemently deny this. There have been other cases of world-class athletes dying prematurely, most notably track and field star Florence Griffith-Joyner. However, it’s almost impossible to blame their deaths on banned substances. Would regulating a fighter’s usage decrease chances of negligible effects?

“As their career progresses, fighters fight less and less each year,” Dr. Goodman notes. “Their ‘doctors’ tell them they can avoid long-term effects by taking them for a fight instead of continually using them. The truth is, nobody knows how severe long-term side effects are because nobody wants to admit they’re using them. Studying its effects on humans is a very difficult thing to accomplish. But there’s a huge list of documented effects, severe ones.”

It’s estimated that one to three million U.S. athletes use steroids today, including over a half million high-schoolers. Clearly, the warnings in the media of deadly consequences were as impotent as the “Just Say No” campaign. By definition, all drugs are harmful if misused. Nevertheless, some manage to find 30 seconds of airtime between our reality shows. Most promise to make your life "normal" again; if it doesn’t cure you, the many side effects are bound to make you forget what your original problem was. Other drugs, such as steroids, are deemed too dangerous for the average Joe.

"The minute you ask boxing to do anything, it becomes a problem," Dr. Goodman states. "If we really want to clean up the sport, we need uniform testing for drugs, just like we do MRI testing. In organizations like the NFLPA or the MLBPA, they try to educate the athlete. No one spends time with the fighter doing that."

Forcing the different factions to reach an agreement without federal legislation, or even a national commission, may be impossible. Boxing’s unstructured hierarchy allows everyone to pass the buck (literally) – how do you ask a pug who makes $1000 a fight to pay the cost of a steroids test? Will the sanctioning bodies cough-up green to monitor someone training overseas? And, finally, what would stop a promoter from finding another jurisdiction for his card if the one he’s working demands he fork up the dough?

"In boxing, everything comes down to money and time," says Dr. Goodman. "It’s unfortunate but we can’t continue to ignore the problem and stick our heads in the sand - it’s unhealthy, unfair and it dangers the credibility of the sport."

In the end, the fighter must weigh the risks and make a choice. However, his decision doesn’t exempt state commissions, promoters and other parties from guilt. The lack of a collective steroid policy leaves boxing a step behind other sports—once again. While we play catch-up, the number of fighters who believe the benefits outweigh the consequences is rapidly increasing.

http://www.secondsout.com/usa-boxing...ng-our-options

I'm glad that there's a real true movement for better testing. This sport needs it.

[IMDAZED]

And people thought this whole PED testing thing would go away .

[AlwaysOnTop]

A new organization headed by former ringside doctor, Margaret Goodman, will administer random drug testing for the Showtime-televised rematch between RING No. 3-rated welterweight Victor Ortiz and RING No. 4-rated counterpart Andre Berto, who will meet on Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

According to a story on MaxBoxing.com, Ortiz and Berto will be randomly tested for blood and urine by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), which is headed Goodman.

Lou DiBella, promoter for Berto (28-1, 22 knockouts), first announced last week that a new organization would be doing its inaugural testing for Berto's return bout with Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs), although DiBella did not name the group at the time.

DiBella said that the random drug testing would follow the same protocols as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

"There's an initiative being done by [former Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physicians] Margaret Goodman and Flip Homansky and some others that made this more affordable and done in the same exact way, so we're exploring that," said DiBella.

"And assuming that it's what we believe that it is, we'll being doing it with that group because it's affordable, and it also makes a statement to future meaningful fights that it's now affordable and can be done in a cost-effective manner and there's really no economic impediment to doing it."

WBC welterweight beltholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the first boxer to mandate random drug testing of blood and urine for his past two victories over RING No. 10-rated welterweight Shane Mosley and Ortiz in May of last year and in September. Mayweather scored a unanimous-decision victory over Mosley, and a fourth-round stoppage that dethroned Ortiz as WBC beltholder.

The 28-year-old Berto dethroned Jan Zaveck as IBF welterweight titleholder by fifth-round knockout in September, stopping Zaveck for the first time in Zaveck's career. The victory helped Berto to rebound from losing his WBC belt to the 24-year-old Ortiz in April, a unanimous decision during which the winner was dropped in the second and sixth rounds, and Berto was floored in the first and sixth.

Against Ortiz, Berto complained of a lack of stamina, and was hospitalized with dehydration afterward. Berto credited a new relationship with controversial BALCO founder, Victor Conte, for re-energizing his workouts in prepraration for Zaveck. After examining Berto's blood samples, Conte found that the fighter to be overtrained and severely anemic.

The presence of Conte, however, aroused su****ion in the camp of Ortiz, whose manager, Rolando Arellano, told ******.com tha he will "demand Olympic-style drug testing" before a deal is reached.

Now, it appears that Arellano's wishes will be realized, as will those of the Berto camp.

"It would be the same protocol as USADA, with complete medical professionals handling it. We're working on those details now, and there were no issues with it. We wanted it, Ortiz had no problem with it, [Ortiz's promoter] Golden Boy had no problem with it, and so it's not an issue," said DiBella.

"It's very expensive if you do it with USADA, but it's a fraction of that if we do it through this initiative that Margaret and Flip are proposing. We haven't done a deal yet as to which officials will actually do the testing, but the testing will be Olympic style. It will be USADA testing. It will be testing of blood and urine. I feel that we need it across the board. I think that it should happen, period"

Ring TV .com

The world is shrinking around Pacman and other juicers in boxing..

[puga]

now, i trust this better given it is headed by goodman, someone who does not tolerate the use of xylocaine whether on training or fight night...

[puga]

And people thought this whole PED testing thing would go away .

it would only go away if punkasses go away....

[BoxingGenius27]

I'm glad to see the sport going in the right direction... There really should be no reason for anyone not to test.

I knew funding was the main reason why OSDT wasn't already implemented accross the board.

I'm glad to see they've found a work around that will do the same tests, but be much cheaper. I'm interested to see exactly how it will work with this new company though.

[AlwaysOnTop]

now, i trust this better given it is headed by goodman, someone who does not tolerate the use of xylocaine whether on training or fight night...

For all you know Pac might use xylocaine himself..along with the stuff he's scared to be tested for.

[AlwaysOnTop]

it would only go away if punkasses go away....

Look who's talking....LOL

[puga]

For all you know Pac might use xylocaine himself..along with the stuff he's scared to be tested for.

all speculation...floyd xylocaine use is common knowledge..