Time for boxing to get serious fighting PEDs

NONITO “The Filipino  Flash” has voluntarily undergone random drug tests for over a year now and wonders why others don’t want to follow his example. He merely wants to protect the integrity of boxing and to make sure no fighter has an induced advantage.

Donaire, named 2012 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and other leading organizations such as ESPN and Ring, has said that a lot of people are taking advantage of a lot of things and warned “people are going to get hurt” unless the world organizations and the local commission do something to institute mandatory random drugs tests for title fights at least.

Many people have spoken in whispers about fighters suspected of taking performance enhancing drugs but they are afraid to come out and make the accusations public because of legal consequences.

Now there is  growing pressure on the various world boxing organizations—the major ones at least such as the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF to institute random drug testing at least for championship fights to make sure that everything is above board.

It is difficult to understand why the world boxing organizations are seemingly reluctant to take this giant step forward to keep the sport clean.

They cannot pass the buck and claim this is the prerogative and responsibility of the different boxing commissions under whose jurisdiction the fights are held.

After all, title fighters battle for organization titles not for commission championships so the onus must clearly fall on the shoulders of the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF. To claim otherwise is a copout.

The organizations, except in the case of a stubborn, self-centered Nevada State Athletic Commission in Las Vegas, also appoint the referees and judges for title fights so why can’t they institute a provision for random drug testing?

There have been too many cases of boxers suddenly putting on muscle without going up in weight and showing amazing stamina which was the secret of Lance Armstrong’s success in winning the Tour de France seven times.

He never got caught because doping has developed into a fine art with so-called masking agents making it almost impossible to detect traces of performance enhancing drugs. It was only when his teammates squealed on Armstrong that the inveterate cheat was nailed.

What more in boxing when a boxer’s team stands to benefit from his success?

If the world boxing organizations and the commissions and some unscrupulous promoters continue to exploit the weakness of the system, then boxing is not the sport it was meant to be and they deserve to be put into the ring and knocked out cold by a PED loaded fighter. Maybe then they’ll  do something about it.