Doping in boxing has been in the news a lot lately, for unfortunately negative reasons. It seems to be a problem not just in the sport of boxing however – but in every pro sport.
Where money and sport meet you’re always going to have those out there willing to cheat and risk the consequences.
The problem exists on both sides of the pond in boxing but boxing unlike other sports where athletes test positive, has much harsher potential consequences.
It’s not like someone taking steroids to allow them to hit a baseball further. In boxing two men are hitting one another with the stakes infinitely more high for a fighter’s health.
Speaking in an open Q and A session with boxing fans on Reddit, one fan asked Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum the following:
What is the process when one of your fighters tests positive for a PED?
To which Arum replied:
“Well, the commission then applies the punitive measures and levies a fine and/or a suspension. That is appropriate, regulatory bodies have to deal with people who cheat and fail a drug test. It is not for a promoter, in my opinion, to act on his own to either overlook it or put his own penalties. In other words, we do testing through a commission who then retains VADA or some other organization to do the testing. I don’t think promoters should be involved in that, it’s a job for the commissions.”
On the whole though, in comparison to other sports, boxing is certainly not the worst out there for PED usage like something like cycling for example.
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