U.S. Anti-Doping Agency outlines drug-testing regimen for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley

There will be blood.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Thursday outlined parts of the Olympic-style drug-testing program it has put in place for the blockbuster May 1 fight between boxerFloyd Mayweather Jr. and former BALCOcustomer Shane Mosley.

USADA's regimen, which includes random blood sampling and other strict measures, outpaces any other anti-doping effort in professional boxing. Both fighters volunteered for the USADA program. Prospects for a previous bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiaofoundered over disputes over drug-testing procedures.

In a conference call Thursday, representatives for both boxers were joined by USADA CEO Travis Tygart, who said Mosley and Mayweather will notify USADA of their whereabouts at all moments between now and the fight in Vegas. USADA may keep the fighters' samples in storage for testing in the distant future, when anti-doping science may have evolved to detect now-invisible substances and methods.

"These athletes are courageous in their position and their desire to be held to the most stringent anti-doping program to protect their right to compete clean," Tygart said. "At this point, both athletes have agreed to USADA's testing protocols, including both blood and urine testing, which is unannounced, which is anywhere, anytime."

Blood testing is customary in Olympic sports, but professional sports leagues in the U.S.have resisted implementing it. Such tests are the only way laboratories can detect the use of human growth hormone and several other doping methods thought to boost strength and stamina.

The new agreement also brings USADA into an awkward sort of partnership with Mosley, who testified before the BALCO grand jury that he injected himself with drugs supplied by BALCO founder Victor Conte, but escaped the kind of punishments other BALCO athletes faced. Mosley has claimed he didn't know the drugs he took were the endurance-boosting EPO and steroids, and has spent two years suing Conte for defamation for saying he told Mosley what the drugs were.

"We thought long and hard about it and its impact on us, whether we could be a part of this effort," Tygart said when asked if there was an investigation into Mosley's BALCO links. "At the end of the day we asked ourselves, what would clean athletes want us to do. From that perspective, clean athletes in this sport and in this event have asked us to be involved."

Tygart said that if USADA had had jurisdiction over boxing in 2003, it would have aggressively pursued evidence implicating Mosley, but that any hypothetical suspension would have been complete by this point.

"If he did cheat, and he does again, he will be caught and exposed in our program," Tygart said.

By: NATHANIEL VINTON

Source: nydailynews.com

THE OTHER MADNESS: MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY

Just as millions of people have filled out their brackets for March Madness, boxing fans have already begun to debate the winner of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley fight set for Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And while the NCAA Tournament lasts only a few weeks, it has taken six-time World Champion Mayweather and five-time World Champion Mosley a lifetime of dedication to finally reach what will be the biggest fight of their respective careers.

The path to Mayweather vs. Mosley has been a long and hard fought one. They have both paved Hall Of Fame roads by fighting the biggest and best in boxing. Check out the bracket below which shows the paths that they both have taken to get to this mega-fight. If you have brackets on the brain, you can alos vote for who you believe will be victorious HERE.

By: ARON PHILLIPS

Source: dimemag.com

V8: Pacquaio, Clottey, Mayweather/Mosley, Green, and more

Manny Pacquiao: Lay Down After Lay Down

Street vernacular for an easy contest or an easy victory is often referred to as a 'lay down'. When you think of the way Pacquiao walked through his last few opponents, many would use the term, as it would appear that very little effort was necessary in gaining the victories. Looks have always had a way of deceiving us, and in the case of Pacquiao, this could be no closer to the truth, as the fightin' Filipino has recently gone on record and stated that his last two fights have taken more out of him than anyone seems to know. Based on that reality, Pacquiao has apparently decided to lay down after the 'lay downs', making a conscious decision to take a few extended months off to rest after taking such a great welterweight pounding. Clottey didn't land too many clean shots, but when he did, as he predicted, they landed with optimal impact. The most telling details of this truth came the morning after when I received an early a.m. call from my Mother who happened to scroll past ESPN. Her first question....."Vee, you mean to tell me that the cute little Filipino boy 'Packy' lost last night"? My response......"no, Mom, 'Packy' (as she calls him) won last night". Her reply......"He won with his face looking like that"! I had to remind her, just as ESPN only showed half the story, so did the seemingly easy victory. Hopefully the peoples champ heals well and returns soon. There's a guy named 'money' on the table who he probably wants to get his hands on right about now! Stay tuned....

Joshua Clottey: Diarrhea, or Just Full of **it?

Last Saturday night, fight fans had the opportunity to watch a rather un-'EVENT'-ful affair as Filipino Manny Pacquiao delivered a thorough one-sided beat down of Ghana native Joshua Clottey. In a sad affair, the sport of boxing had the undivided attention of the world around it, but failed to capitalize, simply because one man apparently didn't come to fight. Days after the colossal collapse, the Ghana native went public with a story that his effort was subpar due to the fact that he ate a batch of bad food that gave him diarrhea. Clottey has always been a stand up guy and I wouldn't take this opportunity to start questioning him. Then again, perhaps I don't have to, because in accordance with his story, after that weak performance, I firmly believe that if only for that one night, he was truly full of **it!

Playin' for Pacquiao: Who Got Next?

Now that Pacquiao has completed his showdown with Clottey, a ton of other combatants have lined up to take him to task. Edwin Valero would be a true head-bangers brawl, Antonio Margarito in the Philippines would be an instant smash as well. Both options sound great in theory, but when you get beyond the novelty crew, the usual suspects seem to find their way right back in the fold. Negotiations may prevent things from happening, but no question, the Mayweather/Mosley winner will remain at the forefront.

Chambers/Wladi-K: Heavyweight Strap Comin' Home Again?

If all goes according to plan, this Saturday could be the first time in a long time that the world of boxing sees a portion of the heavyweight strap return to America. Won't be a walk in the park for "Fast" Eddie Chambers, but of the American heavyweights in the mix, none possess the overall ability of Chambers. Many remember him as the talented but non-threatening heavy that lacked pop. A glimpse of his work against Dimitrenko a few months shows exactly what he can do against a bigger target. Wladimir represents one of the best in the biz, but if Chambers has any shot, it'll be against the sporadic Klitschko, not the older one that comes to seek and destroy.

Freddie Roach: Bigger is Better, But Give Us The Small Package

With Pacquiao getting the job done against Clottey, the mission at hand has shifted to his next man in line. Several have thrown their name into the hat, but veteran trainer Freddie Roach has stated clearly who he likes in the group. Roach feels that Pacquiao's chances are great against any of the men, but the one he wants most? The other 'little' guy with big power.....Edwin Valero. Once you get beyond the potential Mayweather showdown, all the other guys become a bit marginalized, yet the intrigue with Valero is that he's the only one in the mix that wouldn't come excessive height and reach advantages. Given his true warrior spirit, it would be another throwback classic, cut from the cloth of the Morales, Barrera, and Marquez battles. Hard to say who'll get the nod, but if Freddie has it his way, the question will be met with an easy answer.

Mayweather/Mosley: Test Before the 'Test'

It's official.....Floyd Mayweather jr. and Shane Mosley will undergo randomized blood testing during their respective fight camps which is expected to commence Monday, March 22nd. With all the typical 'this-one-will-but-that-one-won't' type dialogues recently, seems a bit refreshing to have two men that will, without question or delay. Details of how the test will go down specifically have yet to be completely disbursed, but after a series of test, it'll be intriguing to see if these two men handle the 'test'. Pacquiao spoke of fatigue (when asked to take part in the test) while others said there would be no such effect. Truth is, we don't know.....but we sure as hell are about to find out!

Ali Funeka: 'Drawin' A New Script....

The last time Dominican Joan Guzman faced Ali Funeka, he escaped with a draw. Many who witnessed the blatant robbery knew full well the only thing 'drawn' in the aftermath of that showdown was the level of interest to his opponent, Ali Funeka, who has seen his stock rise in the minds of fight fans. With only a few more days remaining before the two step back in the ring, seems Funeka is well prepared to draw up yet another script. One that varies quite a bit from what we've seen in his days on American soil. What could this script be? Not only a decisive victory, but one that actually sticks! Soon enough we can tune in for his display.....

Andre Ward Preparin' for 'Green-Mile'?

Allan Green is the newcomer to the famed Super 6 Super Middleweight tournament, but you'd never know that with the comments we hear tossed around on the heels of Ward's recent injury that caused a postponement of their scheduled showdown. Maybe he's been this vocal for a reason....ever think about that one? He goes by 'Ghost Dog', he's more of a punisher, but come the end of the night when they do meet, he could be the new 'executioner', as many think Ward could crumble at one of the hands of the talented puncher. Ward has never been short on talent himself, but Green is no Kessler. Can't wait to see this one go down. Somehow I think both men will have their hands full when the bell rings.

Author: Vivek Wallace

Source: 8countnews.com

loyd Mayweather's renegade demand for Olympic-style drug testing just might become boxing's norm

Regardless what anyone thinks about Floyd Mayweather's emphasis on mandatory blood testing in boxing, the pressure it has brought to bear is forcing his sport into self-examination.

Melvina Lathan, chairwoman of the powerful New York State Athletic Commission, this week announced that body has instructed its medical advisory board to review whether blood testing should be part of how boxing screens for banned substances.

If it enacted such testing, New York would become the first major boxing regulatory body to do so.

Dr. Margaret Goodman and Dr. Flip Homansky, both former ranking officials in the Nevada State Athletic Commission, also have said boxing's urine-only testing makes it a fertile ground for performance-enhancing drugs that can't be detected that way, and have urged Nevada to reconsider its stance against it.

Mayweather, who reached an impasse in talks for a fight with Manny Pacquiao over the latter's refusal to submit to Olympic-style, random blood and urine testing, found a willing participant in Shane Mosley, who agreed to those very terms.

And Thursday, those closest to the May 1 Mayweather-Mosley arrangements ramped up the pressure with a teleconference on which the chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, again emphasized how inadequate boxing's urine-only testing is.

Tygart called Mayweather-Mosley "another watershed moment" in the effort to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs, comparing it to when the Olympics turned to the World Anti-Doping Agency and its sub-groups -- of which the USADA is one -- for independent testing, thereby eliminating the potential conflict of promoters policing the athletes they promote.

Mayweather, the Grand Rapids native who is unbeaten in more than 13 years as a professional, has taken a lot of heat for his stance. Some people have interpreted it as a way to dodge the Pacquiao fight by not accepting boxing's standards.

Tygart, who called those very standards "a joke" in an interview with The Grand Rapids Press two months ago , said he looks at it much differently.

"It takes a lot of courage when your sport is not doing everything possible to protect your rights," Tygart said.

If either Mayweather or Mosley tests positive, Tygart said a two-year USADA suspension would be imposed, just as on a first-offender Olympian.

Such a suspension would be symbolic, of course, unless boxing commissions honored it.

Tygart said USADA gave careful consideration to whether there was enough time to implement an effective testing program for Mayweather-Mosley, given that some banned substances, most notably human growth hormone -- which is naturally produced and present in everyone, to varying degrees -- is best detected by establishing each individual's base-line levels and comparing them over long periods of time.

The organization ultimately decided it was "comfortable" taking on testing for the fight, Tygart said.

"And keep in mind, baseline is just one aspect of our program," he said. "We also specifically detect. Baselining is not necessary if you're trying to detect individual administration of steroids.

"Obviously, we'd prefer to have them in the program for a longer period of time prior to the fight but, again, we were comfortable because we were asked by an athlete to have the most stringent program put in place. And we weren't going to back away from having that program put in place."

Fighters were instructed on the process last weekend, agreed to let USADA know their whereabouts at all times and are subject to random blood and urine testing at any time up to and after the fight.

There will be no limit on tests, and samples will be stored for several years, just as with Olympic athletes, Tygart said.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, said he thinks "all the commissions across the United States eventually will get on board with this," and Tygart stressed that is the only way to protect contestants in a combat sport.

Increasingly, what initially was perceived as a renegade requirement by Mayweather could be turning into the way of the future.

"It's never too late for something good," Ellerbe said. "With guys volunteering for more stringent testing, how can you go wrong with that?"

Author: DAVID MAYO

Source: mlive.com

Mayweather and Pacquiao both sticking to their guns over testing, negotiations pointless?

Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley began their prefight testing today, each submitting what will be the first of many blood and urine samples.

The testing in this case is being conducted not by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but by the USADA, or U.S Anti Doping Agency. The reason being that Mayweather in particular thinks the testing that the commissions insist on isn't stringent enough.

At the age of 34, Mayweather decided last year that Pacquiao was on some kind of performance enhancing drugs and that he should clean up the sport of boxing by making his opponents take tougher pre fight testing. How this helps the sport as a whole rather than just eases Mayweather's suspicions isn't clear at this juncture, and no other fighter has yet followed suit.

Asked about a potential showdown with pound for pound king and WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, representatives from the Mayweather camp have said it is a possibility so long as Pacquiao submits to random testing by the USADA.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum countered by saying that they would do whatever testing the commission wanted them to do, which is a lot less stringent than the USADA.

Outwardly negotiations of this nature if they aren't successful will only serve to show that boxing is still a sport held back by the whims of fighters and that champions can always avoid each other and get away with it.With that being the case, and neither side likely to back down on their stance, is another round of negotiations really necessary or good for the sport?

Reportedly Pacquiao in the gym shows his coach Freddie Roach how he would beat Mayweather and get past his slippery defense. After the Joshua Clottey fight, Mayweather was reported to have seen something he thought he could beat Pacquiao with, although this interview was later refuted with Mayweater claiming not to have seen the fight at all.

Whatever the actual case of affairs, it doesn't look like there is much point to the two camps getting together and re-igniting the war between Golden Boy and Top Rank, which for the time being had calmed down.

Once again this impasse makes the commission look rather toothless in that they aren't taking sides with either fighter. Pacquiao wanting to play by their own rules, however limited they might be. Mayweather wanting to take things into his own hands and make up the testing rules as he goes along. Should the commission make a statement stating where they stand, and how they are going to improve testing in the future, both camps might be able to reach a compromise.

Miles Howard, Pittsburgh PA: "Its interesting how Floyd's campaign to clean up the sport has absolutely no support from anyone except the USADA (Who are making money from it). No other boxers have come forward and said they agree and no other fighter is insisting they and their opponent get extra testing"

James Murphy, Pittsburgh PA: "All these fighters care about is making themselves look good and their opponent look bad. Neither is bothered about the fans or Mayweather would drop this extra testing nonsense and Pacquiao would agree to extra testing"

Author: Scott Heritage

Source: Examiner.com