IS THIS A $64,000 QUESTION?
San Francisco, CA– During a recent conversation the subject arose: If I were a boxer and I knew I couldn’t get caught, I’d have to say that I’d do EPO in a minute if I thought it would make me a 35-50% better athlete from a cardiovascular point of view. If a medical professional told me that certain steroids might also allow me to train harder and recover faster, I’d be popping the needles myself.
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS BEAT THE NEVADA TESTING?
And that is what makes this whole thing sort of scary, I’m pretty conservative and don’t believe in cheating per se. But I have to admit, I’d be deep into Performance Enhancing Drugs if I were competing at, or aspired to be near the upper echelon of my sport, be it boxing, tennis, soccer, MMA, hell even golfers are juiced nowadays. In short, I’d be willing to risk the consequences, especially if I was being tested under the current (announced) system employed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
YEAH, I SAID IT, I’D DO THE EPO
Can anybody fathom what this blood doping does? It allows you greater and higher levels of oxygen. Oxygen drives the body, red blood cells, etc. There are a few names over the years, big time guys other than Shane Mosley, and not Manny Pacquiao, that I know have taken “cycles” of steroids. The “blood doping” is relatively new to the boxing scene.
COSTAS FEARS GIBSON, I SAY DURAN!
HBO’s Bob Costas asked the great St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson if he would have used things that are available today had they been available during his hall of fame run, and he indicated he would. Costas said, “Gibson on steroids? What a nightmare!” I shudder at the thought of these things being around when Roberto Duran was aging. As for Ray Leonard, it was thought by some that the body he brought into the ring vs. Hagler in 1987 might have been “enhanced.”
Pedro Fernandez