Multiple Reports: Erik Morales Tests Positive Ahead of Saturday Fight

Morales chats with media on Wednesday. (Tom Casino)

Erik Morales, slated to fight in the main event against Danny Garcia Saturday night in the Barclays Center, tested positive for a banned substance, according to multiple reports on websites this late afternoon/ evening. Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com Tweeted that Richard Schaefer confirmed to him that Morales tested positive for an as yet unnamed susbstance. The “Morales tests positive” story first appeared on HaleStaleSports.com, citing unnamed sources. FightHype.com then followed up, and then came the Schaefer confirmation.

The Garcia-Morales fight is still on according to Reeno. Morales, age 36, didn't make weight when he fought and lost to Garcia in March. Garcia holds two 140 pound titles at this time.

I put calls in to a Golden Boy spokesman and the New York State Athletic Commission, so as of yet haven't confirmed myself that the Mexican legend came up positive.

Note: I spoke to Angel Garcia, Danny Garcia's father/trainer, twice this week. And both times he cast aspersions on Morales, and said outright that he'd like to see the scars from the gallbladder surgery Morales said he had three months before the March meeting, or he'd not believe the surgery story.

Now, we must let this play out, see what the sample showed, see what the “B” or second sample shows, before we speculate excessively, in my opinion. But wow, this is quite the string of misfortune for the Golden Boy team. The Lamont Peterson-Amir Khan sequel was scrapped because of a Peterson positive, then the Andre Berto-Victor Ortiz rematch was scuttled because Berto tested positive, and now this. Luckily, if the plug is pulled on the Morales-Garcia fight, there are enough fights on the Barclays card to pick up the slack…

UPDATE: ESPN's Dan Rafael reports that one source told him that Morales' “A” sample showed evidence of clenbuterol, which can be used for weight loss.

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