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Boxers Leading the Way To Rid Sport of PEDs
After two consecutive much anticipated big-money fight cards were cancelled when one of the main event boxers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, the willingness of other fighters, not to mention their managers and promoters, to face the same scrutiny and risk the same consequences will be sorely challenged.
So, too, will the depth of the sincerity among all prize fighters for policing themselves against the scourge upon their sport of PEDs. With random drug testing for PEDs before a fight not required by most boxing jurisdictions, the onus to clean up the sport has fallen squarely on the fighters themselves. Though ridiculous, like most of boxing’s absurdities it is a sad fact.
To his credit, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has been a leader in this regard, using his powerful position in the business of boxing to insist upon his opponents agreeing to random testing. Because Mayweather quite often provides opponents their biggest paydays, only Manny Pacquiao has refused since the dawning of this one-man clean-up campaign and the pressure of Mayweather’s public position has led others in high-profile fights to demand the same testing.
Pacquiao has since relented and said he will agree to random blood and urine testing for a Mayweather fight but is not insisting his opponents do the same even though he maintains a similarly powerful position in the sport and could easily do so.
It is ridiculous even by boxing’s low standards that it is the fighters who are being made responsible for regulating their own industry because regardless of the cost of such testing random testing for PEDs should be mandatory. The reason why is simple: if you are using steroids or other PEDs in baseball you simply hit the ball farther or throw it harder. In football, you are running faster, hitting harder or recovering faster from injury. In basketball, you become a rebounding beast.
But in boxing, a fighter on PEDs can both inflict more potentially damaging and possibly life-threatening injuries upon your opponent. In addition you may well be able to withstand more punishment, possibly leading to your own life-altering injuries in the ring. As Mike Tyson once put it so eloquently, “You play basketball. You play baseball. You don’t play boxing.’’
Promoters howl at the potential costs of random testing and both television executives and state regulators fear just what happened in the Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson and Andre Berto-Victor Ortiz fights, which was the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars because you can’t buy insurance for a failed drug test.
Yet the testing costs could be absorbed if it were spread not among individual fighters or promoters but rather paid out of a pool created by taking a small percentage of each big fight card off the gross in each state, the number obviously growing the bigger matches.
The collection and distribution of that money could then be administered by the Association of Boxing Commissions, led by its president Tim Lueckenhoff, with individual states passing legislation if needed to mandate that cost onto individual fight promotions as a cost of doing business in the state.
The latest examples of why this is necessary came first when the Peterson came up positive for excessive artificial testosterone after having called for such voluntary testing himself because, he said, he felt Khan might be using. Peterson later admitted taking PEDs before the first fight between them as well. In both cases, Peterson will argue this was under a doctor’s supervision for a medical condition but there are no real provisions for that.
If a fighter tests positive for performance enhancers there is little gray area for a commission to allow the fight to go on unless a tainted result can be established. That does not appear to be the case in this fight nor in the case of Berto, who suffered the same fate after testing positive and then claiming tainted supplements not given to him by his supplements advisor, Victor Conte, had skewered the test.
The interesting twist there is that is Conte is the disgraced former head of Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), which was the source of PEDs for fallen Olympic gold medalists Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones, allegedly for Barry Bonds and a host of other major league baseball and pro football players as well as boxer Sugar Shane Mosley, who admitted to using PEDs in grand jury testimony.
Conte has since testified for the government in high profile cases against some of his former clients, served a short jail term and now claims to be an advocate for the exclusion of PEDs in sports while continuing to provide assorted other supplements to help athletes legally reach peak performance.
Peterson’s positive test results became public so close to the fight that the card could not be saved, a blow to Khan and HBO. This greatly angered promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who claimed his company was not made aware of the initial positive test until the second sample also was tested a month later.
The lag time left him little opportunity to find a new opponent for Khan in time to save the May date. Khan, who like Peterson trained for months for a fight he will now not be paid for, will face Danny Garcia in July but that will require another round of intense training and does not carry with it any of the cachet of a Khan-Peterson rematch.
Berto’s positive test led to a rapid testing of his B sample after which the results were made public and he was replaced by Josesito Lopez in time to save the June 23 card. But, again, Lopez brings none of the cachet or interest that a rematch with Berto would have in light of the raucous nature of their first fight.
This is what television networks, casino owners and state commissions fear most about regularly randomly testing fighters before major matches for PEDs. Unlike other sports, there is no natural substitute when a man event performer of the quality of Berto or Peterson is lost. Both were in rematches because of the story line around their first fight and now that is lost and so is the revenue those fights would have generated as well as the promotional costs already expended.
All four fighters had agreed to voluntary testing by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), a Nevada-based concern run by Nevada’s former chief of ringside physicians, Dr. Margaret Goodman. Since all such testing is voluntary and the belief is VADA is using a more stringent testing protocol than other testing organizations including the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA), which regularly tests but seldom catches Olympic athletes using PEDs (Jones, for example, had never tested positive in an international competition), the fear is fighters will now refuse to participate, as Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. already has.
Pacquiao could ramp up the heat by insisting he and his opponents all be tested as Mayweather has done but as yet he has been silent on the issue. With two major fight cards having been cancelled within two weeks of each other caution and probably a retreat from testing seems likely.
If so, it would be another sad day for boxing and for the men and women most at risk in the sport – the prize-fighters themselves.
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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