Original Article: Max Boxing
By Gabriel Montoya
June 18, 2012
Since the day Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley agreed to do random drug testing overseen by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for the May 1, 2010 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, the idea of fighters becoming proactive in the anti-doping movement has gained more and more momentum. The month of May 2012 saw Lamont Peterson and Andre Berto, two top-level champions, not only volunteer for testing under the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) but test positive for banned substances under the very supervision they asked for. In addition, Mayweather has had two other fights tested under USADA’s supervision. Mosley has the distinction, along with Victor Ortiz, of having been tested by both USADA and VADA as his fight this year with Saul Alvarez was tested under the auspices of the latter.
Last week, the momentum was picked up and run with by WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, 28-1 with 18 KOs. Starting with his July 7 unification bout with IBF super bantamweight titlist Jeffrey Mathebula, 26-3-2 with 14 knockouts, Donaire will be subject to testing by VADA, year-round. That’s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter where he is in the world. If World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-approved sample collectors knock on Donaire’s door, he must give them a blood and urine sample. Per VADA’s rules, an athlete can miss sample collection once within a year period. If they miss twice, they are out of the program and the miss counts as a positive with potential sanctions, fines and bans to follow. If the subject tests positive, they are also out of the program with potential sanctions, fines and bans to follow.
Speaking to Donaire Sunday afternoon from his training camp at the Undisputed Boxing Gym in San Carlos, CA., the idea of being the first professional boxer to undergo this stringent of testing seemed to empower him. In a way, it is a gift to his fans.
“I have always been the type of person who has nothing to hide,” Donaire told Maxboxing.com. “I think that this is not only good for boxing but good for sports overall. I think that my fans deserve the truth. They deserve my honesty, that this is who I am. I’ve got nothing to hide. It is to show my fans that I am at this level and I am competing naturally and that anybody can do it. Just work hard. That is more than enough to get you to the top.”
