Mayweather took banned IV before Pacquiao fight—report

Floyd Mayweather Jr. poses after hearing the announcement that he won by unanimous decision. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA/INQUIRER/ See more at FRAME

A day before boxing’s most lucrative fight against Manny Pacquiao, pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. reportedly took an intravenous injection of saline and vitamins, a procedure which is banned under the guidelines of the World Anti Doping Agency.

According to SB Nation, agents of the United States Anti Doping Agency found evidence that Mayweather used an IV a day before the fight, on fight day, and after the weigh-ins.

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Mayweather, SB Nation reports, received an exception from the USADA but his camp did not apply for the waiver until 18 days after he defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

As per ESPN, the substances Mayweather got injected with are not banned under WADA, whose standards the USADA follows, but the intravenous procedure is what WADA prohibits.

Mayweather’s team told USADA agents the IV contained a 250-milliliter mixture of saline and multivitamins and a 500-milliliter mixture of saline and Vitamin C and was given to the boxer for rehydration purposes.

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WADA does not allow intravenous injections of more than 50 milliliters per six hours “except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures, or clinical investigations.”

The SB Nation report added WADA bans procedures as it can be used to “dilute or mask the presence of another substance.”