FIGHTERS WHO LOSE TO PED USERS ARE BEING PUNISHED TWICE
Los Angeles, CA- Our editor Pedro Fernandez has recently refused to write about anything involving Shane Mosley,who admittedly used Performance Enhancing Drugs(PED’S). While Mosley never tested positive for a bout, he knowingly took them, lied about it, had Pedro’s press credentials pulled for the truth, this before years of his denying his intent to cheat and conceal such.
EVERYONE ELSE WAS SCARED OF SHANE & EX-WIFE!
Pedro’s stance was a source of my inspiration to write this story. Now just give this a thought. There have been a number of fighters on the losing end of decisions and knockouts within the last few years against fighters who have tested positive for PED’S. In one example cruiserweights Antonio Tarver and Lateef Kayode fought to a draw in June of last year.
Kayode deserves a victory over Tarver
This fight stuck out in my mind. Tarver failed the pre-fight drug test, testing positive for the steroid Drostolone. Tarver was punished with a fine of 2,500 as well as suspended by the California State Athletic Comission. An expert boxing analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing, as well as slated to be a US boxing analyst for the 2012 Beijing Olympics, subsequently lost those jobs amid the controversy and bad publicity. However my reason for writing this article is that this case is like many others. The fight result was changed to a “No Contest. This is simply unjust to the victims of this cheating to have to face a fighter with incredible advantages.
ATHLETIC COMMISSIONS “NOT DOING” NEARLY ENOUGH!
With this being the “hurt” business I believe athletic commissions have not gone far enough to discourage PED use. In this case Kayode is being punished twice. In essence with the fight being called a no decision, it’s like it never occurred. However this wasn’t Lateef Kayode’s doing, it was Tarver’s.
PED USERS SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED
I think disqualifying fighters who cheat, whether it’s knowingly or not will send a clear message that fighters are professionals and they have a duty to know what substances they are putting in their body. Ignorance
is no excuse here as these are professional athletes. The fighter who cheats should have his reputation tarnished in the record column, and the fighter who has to face a fighter with a clear unnatural advantage should be rewarded with a victory.
VICTIMS GETTING SCREWED MORE THAN ONCE
If you can think of the numerous fighters who’ve been busted and how that would affect their psyche, I think it’s a tremendous step that needs to be taken by athletic commissions. Mickey Bey Jr. and J’ Leon Love, two undefeated upcoming prospects who failed post fight drug tests(Bey for having elevated levels of testosterone) would now have losses on their record, not a no contest or no decision. This would be a wakeup call for all fighters who are looking for an unfair advantage to know that it will put a clear blemish on their record if caught. This is clearly one of the easiest rules to be changed and I think this should go into effect immediately by all commissions in the US.
-Kevin Perry