Boxing News Thread
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David Haye: “I Made This Fight Happen!”
By James Slater: Upon reading the above headline, any fan will instantly know just which fight David Haye is talking about. Set, at long last, to rumble with Wladimir Klitschko a week on Saturday, the WBA champion is adamant he will shock the Ring Magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO ruler. But Haye says he should be receiving credit right now for the way he “made the fight happen.”
Haye says it was only due to his willingness to make concessions and to agree to all of Klitschko’s demands that the fight we are all looking forward to was made. Speaking with Mirror Sport at the weekend, “The Hayemaker” said he is at a loss as to why “Dr. Steel Hammer” is looked at as a hero.
“For some crazy reason people think that Wladimir is some type of gentleman in boxing,” Haye said. “The truth is that he is a ruthless two-faced business man. It’s been two hard years of negotiating to make this fight happen - and he seems to be getting all the credit. I’m not really that bothered, but he is not the hero some people think he is.
“I have made all of the concessions and done everything that has been asked of me. I made this fight happen.”
We have all read about how many demands the Klitschkos make in their fight contracts; with a number of their opponents having to agree to rematch clauses and even an agreement to fight both brothers in the event of them getting a win. However, Haye pulled out of the original June 2009 date with Wladimir, and that was obviously not Klitschko’s fault. It is an interesting thought, though: would the July 2nd fight be happening if Haye had refused to agree to all he’s agreed to (fighting in Germany, coming into the ring first, agreeing to split the U.K T.V money, etc, etc)?
At any rate, the fight is happening and once the bell rings, fans will forget all about the pre-fight wrangling between the two camps. Haye has said many times he will score a vicious KO over the “boring, weak-chinned” champion. And the Londoner has come out this week and pleaded with Klitschko to “stand and have a fight,” and not to “run away.”
“On the night, there will be only one boxer prepared to back up his words with action: me!” Haye stated.
But will Haye get the result he thinks he will if Wladimir stands and trades with him? Haye’s chin is not fashioned out of granite, and if the two do meet in ring centre and slug it out, it could be a case of who lands the first bomb.
Haye feels he has managed to get under Klitschko’s skin to the point where Wladimir will abandon his usual tactics and fight angry. Maybe this will indeed be the case; but will Haye benefit from it?
By James Slater: Upon reading the above headline, any fan will instantly know just which fight David Haye is talking about. Set, at long last, to rumble with Wladimir Klitschko a week on Saturday, the WBA champion is adamant he will shock the Ring Magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO ruler. But Haye says he should be receiving credit right now for the way he “made the fight happen.”
Haye says it was only due to his willingness to make concessions and to agree to all of Klitschko’s demands that the fight we are all looking forward to was made. Speaking with Mirror Sport at the weekend, “The Hayemaker” said he is at a loss as to why “Dr. Steel Hammer” is looked at as a hero.
“For some crazy reason people think that Wladimir is some type of gentleman in boxing,” Haye said. “The truth is that he is a ruthless two-faced business man. It’s been two hard years of negotiating to make this fight happen - and he seems to be getting all the credit. I’m not really that bothered, but he is not the hero some people think he is.
“I have made all of the concessions and done everything that has been asked of me. I made this fight happen.”
We have all read about how many demands the Klitschkos make in their fight contracts; with a number of their opponents having to agree to rematch clauses and even an agreement to fight both brothers in the event of them getting a win. However, Haye pulled out of the original June 2009 date with Wladimir, and that was obviously not Klitschko’s fault. It is an interesting thought, though: would the July 2nd fight be happening if Haye had refused to agree to all he’s agreed to (fighting in Germany, coming into the ring first, agreeing to split the U.K T.V money, etc, etc)?
At any rate, the fight is happening and once the bell rings, fans will forget all about the pre-fight wrangling between the two camps. Haye has said many times he will score a vicious KO over the “boring, weak-chinned” champion. And the Londoner has come out this week and pleaded with Klitschko to “stand and have a fight,” and not to “run away.”
“On the night, there will be only one boxer prepared to back up his words with action: me!” Haye stated.
But will Haye get the result he thinks he will if Wladimir stands and trades with him? Haye’s chin is not fashioned out of granite, and if the two do meet in ring centre and slug it out, it could be a case of who lands the first bomb.
Haye feels he has managed to get under Klitschko’s skin to the point where Wladimir will abandon his usual tactics and fight angry. Maybe this will indeed be the case; but will Haye benefit from it?
Zab is as dumb as Jean Pascal, his fight with Khan is already signed not sure why he's trying to get Mayweather-style drug testing at this point....
Zab Judah to propose OSDT for Amir Khan Bout?
IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah hinted over the weekend that he may propose an Olympic style testing regime to July opponent Amir Khan ahead of their bout.
Initially asked his view on the random blood testing while talking to fans as he regularly does on his twitter account, Judah replied that he had no problem with it.
Over the course of several days this evidently morphed into Judah picking up the idea and running with it, and when later asked if he would be requesting Olympic style testing for the Khan fight replying:
"oh yes we are!!!"
He was later asked whether Khan had accepted the proposition to which he replied that he hadn't, yet.
Khan himself has being making the rounds with both U.S and U.K media in between training sessions at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, but has yet to comment on the issue
Zab Judah to propose OSDT for Amir Khan Bout?
IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah hinted over the weekend that he may propose an Olympic style testing regime to July opponent Amir Khan ahead of their bout.
Initially asked his view on the random blood testing while talking to fans as he regularly does on his twitter account, Judah replied that he had no problem with it.
Over the course of several days this evidently morphed into Judah picking up the idea and running with it, and when later asked if he would be requesting Olympic style testing for the Khan fight replying:
"oh yes we are!!!"
He was later asked whether Khan had accepted the proposition to which he replied that he hadn't, yet.
Khan himself has being making the rounds with both U.S and U.K media in between training sessions at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, but has yet to comment on the issue
Khan: I want two more fights in 2011; Ortiz will lose to Mayweather, and I fight the
By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KO’s) wants two more fights in 2011 – IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah and possibly WBC/WBO light welterweight champ Timothy Bradley – and then Khan wants to face the winner of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in September. Khan says he sees Ortiz losing that fight, because of the talent of Mayweather. Khan then sees himself facing Mayweather in 2012.
It’s kind of amusing because no one gives Khan a ghost of a chance at beating Mayweather, yet here Khan is saying that Ortiz can’t beat him, which is probably true but it’s kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. It would a situation where both Ortiz getting beaten up by Mayweather and the only thing you could guess at is which fighter would get beaten up worse – Khan or Ortiz. My guess is khan, because he’ll probably get knocked out while Ortiz will fight until he’s crawling.
In a BBC Sport interview, Khan said “I’m hoping to get Zab Judah out of the way and look good against him, then get one more fight at the end of the year. I’d like to fight the winner of Ortiz-Mayweather.”
At eastsideboxing.com’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio program, Khan said “I think Floyd juast has that style where he’s very pefect, he’s very spart, and he can beak down someone like Victor Ortiz who has less experience….I don’t think he’s matched on the same level as Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think Mayweather is maybe a level ahead.”
The way that Khan is speaking it’s like he’s on the same level as Mayweather or that he could do better than Ortiz. I don’t think he can. I see Khan doing much worse than Ortiz, because Mayweather would be nailing Khan when he throws his wild flurries and catch him in between. We saw Khan get hit with one big hard shot from Marcos Maidana and end up starring. Mayweather would be hitting Khan at will and we’d probably see Khan staggering around like a drunk.
By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KO’s) wants two more fights in 2011 – IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah and possibly WBC/WBO light welterweight champ Timothy Bradley – and then Khan wants to face the winner of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in September. Khan says he sees Ortiz losing that fight, because of the talent of Mayweather. Khan then sees himself facing Mayweather in 2012.
It’s kind of amusing because no one gives Khan a ghost of a chance at beating Mayweather, yet here Khan is saying that Ortiz can’t beat him, which is probably true but it’s kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. It would a situation where both Ortiz getting beaten up by Mayweather and the only thing you could guess at is which fighter would get beaten up worse – Khan or Ortiz. My guess is khan, because he’ll probably get knocked out while Ortiz will fight until he’s crawling.
In a BBC Sport interview, Khan said “I’m hoping to get Zab Judah out of the way and look good against him, then get one more fight at the end of the year. I’d like to fight the winner of Ortiz-Mayweather.”
At eastsideboxing.com’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio program, Khan said “I think Floyd juast has that style where he’s very pefect, he’s very spart, and he can beak down someone like Victor Ortiz who has less experience….I don’t think he’s matched on the same level as Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think Mayweather is maybe a level ahead.”
The way that Khan is speaking it’s like he’s on the same level as Mayweather or that he could do better than Ortiz. I don’t think he can. I see Khan doing much worse than Ortiz, because Mayweather would be nailing Khan when he throws his wild flurries and catch him in between. We saw Khan get hit with one big hard shot from Marcos Maidana and end up starring. Mayweather would be hitting Khan at will and we’d probably see Khan staggering around like a drunk.
Schaefer worried Mayorga might price himself out of a Saul Alvarez bout in September
By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is looking for an opponent for his fighter WBC welterweight champion Saul Alvarez’s next fight on September 17th after Alvarez was impressive in beating number #3 ranked World Boxing Council contender Ryan Rhodes by a 12th round knockout last Saturday night.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Schaefer and Alvarez’s manager Jose Reynoso are interested in having former two time world champion Ricardo Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KO’s) be Alvarez’s next opponent, partly because of how good of a job Mayorga does at building interest for a fight with his trash talking; but also because Mayorga fought well in a losing effort against WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto last March. However, Schaefer is concerned that Mayorga might ask for too much money to fight Alvarez, which would cause them to look in another direction.
In the Rafael article, Schaefer said “I know one name mentioned was Mayorga, but he and his promoter [Don King] might price themselves out.”
As Rafael points out, there’s really not too many good options right now for Alvarez’s next fight because Golden Boy likely won’t want to match the 20-year-old Alvarez with a really dangerous opponent for this, his optional defense, because he needs as much seasoning under his belt as possible before he starts taking on the tougher guys in the division. Alvarez won’t be facing his mandatory challenger Vanes Martirosyan until next year, so that guy is out. You can also probably count out the Paul Williams vs. Erislandy Lara winner.
Williams would be too tough right now for Alvarez, and Lara not worth it because he still hasn’t built up a big fan base in the U.S. Alfredo Angulo would be a decent fight, but he too lacks a big fan base in the U.S and isn’t well known among casual boxing fans. It would be more trouble than it was worth for Alvarez to fight him. The other champions Sergiy Dzinziruk and Cornelius Bundradge are still unknowns in the U.S. and Alvarez wouldn’t get much attention for beating them.
Top Rank fighters Mike Jones, Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto and Pawel Wolak would be good options for Alvarez, but it’s hard to imagine that Bob Arum will want to feed those guys to Alvarez and watch them get beaten. Obviously, Golden Boy would jump at the chance of putting Alvarez with Cotto, but it’s not a doable fight right now. Cotto has a fight coming up against Antonio Margarito in December and isn’t available to fight Alvarez in September even if Arum were to allow him to make the fight, which I don’t think he would after seeing how easily Alvarez beat Rhodes.
When you look over all the options that Alvarez has available to him in the division, there’s really not a lot of good fights for Alvarez other than Mayorga. Sure, down the road Alvarez can take on some of the dangerous guys like Angulo and Martirosyan, but it’s doubtful Alvarez will get a big bump up in popularity among boxing fans because those guys aren’t huge stars.
By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is looking for an opponent for his fighter WBC welterweight champion Saul Alvarez’s next fight on September 17th after Alvarez was impressive in beating number #3 ranked World Boxing Council contender Ryan Rhodes by a 12th round knockout last Saturday night.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Schaefer and Alvarez’s manager Jose Reynoso are interested in having former two time world champion Ricardo Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KO’s) be Alvarez’s next opponent, partly because of how good of a job Mayorga does at building interest for a fight with his trash talking; but also because Mayorga fought well in a losing effort against WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto last March. However, Schaefer is concerned that Mayorga might ask for too much money to fight Alvarez, which would cause them to look in another direction.
In the Rafael article, Schaefer said “I know one name mentioned was Mayorga, but he and his promoter [Don King] might price themselves out.”
As Rafael points out, there’s really not too many good options right now for Alvarez’s next fight because Golden Boy likely won’t want to match the 20-year-old Alvarez with a really dangerous opponent for this, his optional defense, because he needs as much seasoning under his belt as possible before he starts taking on the tougher guys in the division. Alvarez won’t be facing his mandatory challenger Vanes Martirosyan until next year, so that guy is out. You can also probably count out the Paul Williams vs. Erislandy Lara winner.
Williams would be too tough right now for Alvarez, and Lara not worth it because he still hasn’t built up a big fan base in the U.S. Alfredo Angulo would be a decent fight, but he too lacks a big fan base in the U.S and isn’t well known among casual boxing fans. It would be more trouble than it was worth for Alvarez to fight him. The other champions Sergiy Dzinziruk and Cornelius Bundradge are still unknowns in the U.S. and Alvarez wouldn’t get much attention for beating them.
Top Rank fighters Mike Jones, Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto and Pawel Wolak would be good options for Alvarez, but it’s hard to imagine that Bob Arum will want to feed those guys to Alvarez and watch them get beaten. Obviously, Golden Boy would jump at the chance of putting Alvarez with Cotto, but it’s not a doable fight right now. Cotto has a fight coming up against Antonio Margarito in December and isn’t available to fight Alvarez in September even if Arum were to allow him to make the fight, which I don’t think he would after seeing how easily Alvarez beat Rhodes.
When you look over all the options that Alvarez has available to him in the division, there’s really not a lot of good fights for Alvarez other than Mayorga. Sure, down the road Alvarez can take on some of the dangerous guys like Angulo and Martirosyan, but it’s doubtful Alvarez will get a big bump up in popularity among boxing fans because those guys aren’t huge stars.
Dr. Don Catlin M.D. Interview - The Controversial subject of performance-enhancing dr
By David Tyler,
Please welcome into the doghouse, the world's foremost expert in the discipline of performance-enhancing drugs. For a quarter century, Dr. Catlin served as director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab and grew it into the world’s largest testing facility of performance-enhancing drugs. Today, he is focused on research and testing development at the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Anti-Doping Research, Inc.
David Tyler – Dr. Catlin as a Physician and expert in drugs, it is an honor to interview you about the very controversial subject of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Let’s start the interview with this question, what are the most popular PEDs used by athletes today?
Dr. Catlin – I would say anabolic steroids and erythropoietin (EPO).
DT- Boxing is a sport that requires strength and endurance. If a boxer was looking at PEDs to gain an edge on the competition, which would he most likely choose?
Dr. C – Certainly EPO and anabolic steroids which would help make him or her stronger, faster, and gain that endurance edge.
DT – Specifically, what happens when the boxer takes steroids and EPO, I mean what benefits does the athlete obtain by taking these drugs?
Dr. C – The EPO increases red blood cells in the body and these cells carry oxygen which is delivered to muscles. The more oxygen you get to the muscles, the stronger you will be and have better endurance.
DT – Doctor, let’s say we have two boxers in the ring for a championship bout which last 12 rounds. One of the participants is taking EPO, the other is not. In theory, the fighter taking the EPO would be stronger and able to easily go 12 rounds due to the benefits of EPO that you explained in the previous question?
Dr. C – I would think so. I have never seen a study comparing two boxers in the situation that you described but in theory I would agree.
DT- Sir, if a fighter was taking EPO would he have an advantage over a more experienced fighter not taking PEDs?
Dr. C – That’s hard to say because of the many factors involved by stating that one fighter is more experienced. All things being equal, the fighter taking the EPO would be able to last longer than his opponent not taking EPO. I am hearing more and more about boxers taking EPO.
DT – Are the PEDs less effective for a complex sport like boxing than a sport like cycling or track where you simply put one foot ahead of the other?
Dr. C – I really don’t know, but I would think not. That question requires so many assumptions that I really couldn’t give you a good answer.
DT – Doctor, can you look at an athlete and tell if he is using PEDs?
Dr. C – No, the only way would be by testing.
DT – Sir, how long after ingestion do the PEDs remain detectable in blood and/or urine?
Dr. C – Steroids can last a day or 40 days depending on which type. Of course the smart ones would take a short acting anabolic steroid, like testosterone. If you take a long acting steroid, you will eventually get caught by the testing agency. There are many kinds and doses of EPO and the test is not very sensitive so I would say that we could detect modest doses for up to three days in urine.
DT – I have always understood that the EPO molecule breaks down rather quickly in urine, not so?
Dr. C – That’s true but with the modern test methodologies, you can still detect a moderate dose in urine for a few days.
DT – I have heard very little about athletes getting caught using EPO or steroids during the random testing performed. Is this do to the limitations in testing?
Dr. C – In the case of boxers, they are not tested for EPO unless a WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) laboratory is doing the testing. We also know that there are certain limitations to the testing. How limited they are depends on the believer and what he thinks are the limitations. I could take testosterone and you could test me frequently and probably never catch me because I know what I am doing. Many athletes and their advisors have studied the limitations in testing and the science that it involves. Unfortunately they may be able to get away taking these drugs for the short term but sooner or later a more sensitive test will be developed or they will make a mistake. It’s still risky taking the drugs because you always have a chance getting caught.
DT – Dr. Catlin, before this next question, it’s my belief that all states that sanction professional boxing require urine PED testing for steroids and EPO……
Dr. C – Pardon me for interrupting but I doubt that many commissions require a test for EPO.
DT – Sir, not even in Las Vegas, Nevada?
Dr. C – I do not know their testing menu, but I seriously doubt it requires EPO testing because there is not a WADA laboratory located in Las Vegas. The EPO test is very complex and takes several days to obtain results.
DT - Wow, the most widely abused PED, EPO is not even tested in urine for professional boxing. I find that amazing to say the least. What are your thoughts about random style Olympic testing for PEDs as opposed to agreeing to test on certain dates?
Dr. C – David, I can’t deal with those kinds of hypotheticals because I don’t know all the facts. The standard way of testing for PEDs is to sign the consent forms and keep the testing company informed where you will be every day. That’s the way the WADA program works. If you are testing outside of WADA, I would have to know the details before making any comment on the efficacy of the testing.
DT – Is it true that some of the cyclists taking the PEDs have become professional experts in regards to the drugs they are ingesting?
Dr. C – Not just cyclists, but in all sports, some more than others. Cycling is the best example of a group of people who take these drugs and are able to avoid detection by fooling around with the dose and other applications. There is a degree of infestation with EPO within each sport. There are people who have become very good at beating these tests.
DT – If I was taking PEDs I would also know and use every possible way of avoiding detection? From what I have been reading I would say Lance Armstrong would be considered a global expert on every aspect of EPO usage and testing?
Dr. C – I don’t speak about athletes by name. I would say that it’s fair to say many athletes are “experts” about the usage and detection of the drugs they are taking.
DT – I understand. Doctor, what I don’t understand is this very simple fact. If you are not taking PEDs, why would you not agree to test on a daily basis?
Dr. C – David, if you are not taking these drugs I would think you would want to be tested daily.
DT – Any drawbacks to daily testing?
Dr. C – One could be the cost factors.
DT – Let’s discuss the cost of the tests. How much does a urine test for anabolic steroids and EPO cost?
Dr. C – There are many factors that go into the pricing of the test. I would say that you could get the anabolic steroid test for between one and two hundred dollars but there are many other factors to consider. For example if you require the results in 24 hours it will be more expensive compared to a one week turnaround. If you add EPO to the testing panel, the cost goes up significantly. Maybe you could get EPO testing for between $300 and $500.00.
DT – Dr. Catlin, what are the short term and long term health consequences for athletes who use PEDs?
Dr. C – For EPO, if you take to much you might experience blood clots, and hypertension. Your blood could get thick and your heart would have trouble circulating the blood through your body. This may result in a heart attack or blood clotting.
DT – Anabolic Steroids?
Dr. C – There is very few acute effects that would be meaningful. You would have to take them for a couple of weeks to notice the side effects such as changes in your blood levels of hormones. There would be a lot of internal changes in hormone levels. Males can become sterile. The skin is subject to rashes, balding may occur and men develop breasts. For women, the breasts shrink and they develop hair in unwanted places.
DT – How about growth hormones which are used by athletes to reduce the down time during workouts?
Dr. C – If you take them long enough, you would get chronic effects such as your head, hands, and feet get bigger.
DT – How is it possible to fool the drug testing when using anabolic steroids and EPO?
Dr. C – David, I don’t feel comfortable answering that question because I’m not in the business of telling people how to beat the testing.
DT – I understand completely. Would I be correct in saying that there are many, many, ways of compromising the testing? Say drinking a gallon of water a few hours prior to a PED urine test?
Dr. C – You would be correct.
DT – Dr. Catlin, I am curious about where you think we are today in reducing PED usage by better testing than we were back in 1998 when a few baseball players hit tons of homeruns which resulted in the era of steroid abuse. Has the level of PED abuse decreased during the years?
Dr. C – I used to think that if you had the right test, the right information, you could control things with drug testing. Now I will admit that there are so many ways to avoid detection. We have solved all the easy problems in drug testing; now we are working on the more complex ones. With all the new drugs it makes drug testing much more difficult. The current testing makes it more difficult for athletes to dope but they are finding more ways to dope without detection. The use of PEDs has decreased but it is not possible to say by how much.
DT – Is it fair to say it’s a battle of good chemist versus bad chemists?
Dr. C – In a way yes, the good chemist are the testers. The bad ones are not necessarily people who are making designer drugs. Many of the drugs are made by legitimate pharmaceutical companies.
DT – Sir, thank you for agreeing to this very informative interview. Keep fighting the good fight in the war on PEDs.
Dr. C – David, you are welcome and I would like to mention that I am starting a voluntary testing program for boxers.
DT- I think this is a great idea that should migrate into all sports. If the athlete is clean, then he should want everyone to know that his performance is not artificially inflated by PEDs.
Readers: Your thoughts about PED testing for boxers? E-mail me at: [email protected]. Many thanks for visiting doghouse boxing and reading this interview.
By David Tyler,
Please welcome into the doghouse, the world's foremost expert in the discipline of performance-enhancing drugs. For a quarter century, Dr. Catlin served as director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab and grew it into the world’s largest testing facility of performance-enhancing drugs. Today, he is focused on research and testing development at the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Anti-Doping Research, Inc.
David Tyler – Dr. Catlin as a Physician and expert in drugs, it is an honor to interview you about the very controversial subject of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Let’s start the interview with this question, what are the most popular PEDs used by athletes today?
Dr. Catlin – I would say anabolic steroids and erythropoietin (EPO).
DT- Boxing is a sport that requires strength and endurance. If a boxer was looking at PEDs to gain an edge on the competition, which would he most likely choose?
Dr. C – Certainly EPO and anabolic steroids which would help make him or her stronger, faster, and gain that endurance edge.
DT – Specifically, what happens when the boxer takes steroids and EPO, I mean what benefits does the athlete obtain by taking these drugs?
Dr. C – The EPO increases red blood cells in the body and these cells carry oxygen which is delivered to muscles. The more oxygen you get to the muscles, the stronger you will be and have better endurance.
DT – Doctor, let’s say we have two boxers in the ring for a championship bout which last 12 rounds. One of the participants is taking EPO, the other is not. In theory, the fighter taking the EPO would be stronger and able to easily go 12 rounds due to the benefits of EPO that you explained in the previous question?
Dr. C – I would think so. I have never seen a study comparing two boxers in the situation that you described but in theory I would agree.
DT- Sir, if a fighter was taking EPO would he have an advantage over a more experienced fighter not taking PEDs?
Dr. C – That’s hard to say because of the many factors involved by stating that one fighter is more experienced. All things being equal, the fighter taking the EPO would be able to last longer than his opponent not taking EPO. I am hearing more and more about boxers taking EPO.
DT – Are the PEDs less effective for a complex sport like boxing than a sport like cycling or track where you simply put one foot ahead of the other?
Dr. C – I really don’t know, but I would think not. That question requires so many assumptions that I really couldn’t give you a good answer.
DT – Doctor, can you look at an athlete and tell if he is using PEDs?
Dr. C – No, the only way would be by testing.
DT – Sir, how long after ingestion do the PEDs remain detectable in blood and/or urine?
Dr. C – Steroids can last a day or 40 days depending on which type. Of course the smart ones would take a short acting anabolic steroid, like testosterone. If you take a long acting steroid, you will eventually get caught by the testing agency. There are many kinds and doses of EPO and the test is not very sensitive so I would say that we could detect modest doses for up to three days in urine.
DT – I have always understood that the EPO molecule breaks down rather quickly in urine, not so?
Dr. C – That’s true but with the modern test methodologies, you can still detect a moderate dose in urine for a few days.
DT – I have heard very little about athletes getting caught using EPO or steroids during the random testing performed. Is this do to the limitations in testing?
Dr. C – In the case of boxers, they are not tested for EPO unless a WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) laboratory is doing the testing. We also know that there are certain limitations to the testing. How limited they are depends on the believer and what he thinks are the limitations. I could take testosterone and you could test me frequently and probably never catch me because I know what I am doing. Many athletes and their advisors have studied the limitations in testing and the science that it involves. Unfortunately they may be able to get away taking these drugs for the short term but sooner or later a more sensitive test will be developed or they will make a mistake. It’s still risky taking the drugs because you always have a chance getting caught.
DT – Dr. Catlin, before this next question, it’s my belief that all states that sanction professional boxing require urine PED testing for steroids and EPO……
Dr. C – Pardon me for interrupting but I doubt that many commissions require a test for EPO.
DT – Sir, not even in Las Vegas, Nevada?
Dr. C – I do not know their testing menu, but I seriously doubt it requires EPO testing because there is not a WADA laboratory located in Las Vegas. The EPO test is very complex and takes several days to obtain results.
DT - Wow, the most widely abused PED, EPO is not even tested in urine for professional boxing. I find that amazing to say the least. What are your thoughts about random style Olympic testing for PEDs as opposed to agreeing to test on certain dates?
Dr. C – David, I can’t deal with those kinds of hypotheticals because I don’t know all the facts. The standard way of testing for PEDs is to sign the consent forms and keep the testing company informed where you will be every day. That’s the way the WADA program works. If you are testing outside of WADA, I would have to know the details before making any comment on the efficacy of the testing.
DT – Is it true that some of the cyclists taking the PEDs have become professional experts in regards to the drugs they are ingesting?
Dr. C – Not just cyclists, but in all sports, some more than others. Cycling is the best example of a group of people who take these drugs and are able to avoid detection by fooling around with the dose and other applications. There is a degree of infestation with EPO within each sport. There are people who have become very good at beating these tests.
DT – If I was taking PEDs I would also know and use every possible way of avoiding detection? From what I have been reading I would say Lance Armstrong would be considered a global expert on every aspect of EPO usage and testing?
Dr. C – I don’t speak about athletes by name. I would say that it’s fair to say many athletes are “experts” about the usage and detection of the drugs they are taking.
DT – I understand. Doctor, what I don’t understand is this very simple fact. If you are not taking PEDs, why would you not agree to test on a daily basis?
Dr. C – David, if you are not taking these drugs I would think you would want to be tested daily.
DT – Any drawbacks to daily testing?
Dr. C – One could be the cost factors.
DT – Let’s discuss the cost of the tests. How much does a urine test for anabolic steroids and EPO cost?
Dr. C – There are many factors that go into the pricing of the test. I would say that you could get the anabolic steroid test for between one and two hundred dollars but there are many other factors to consider. For example if you require the results in 24 hours it will be more expensive compared to a one week turnaround. If you add EPO to the testing panel, the cost goes up significantly. Maybe you could get EPO testing for between $300 and $500.00.
DT – Dr. Catlin, what are the short term and long term health consequences for athletes who use PEDs?
Dr. C – For EPO, if you take to much you might experience blood clots, and hypertension. Your blood could get thick and your heart would have trouble circulating the blood through your body. This may result in a heart attack or blood clotting.
DT – Anabolic Steroids?
Dr. C – There is very few acute effects that would be meaningful. You would have to take them for a couple of weeks to notice the side effects such as changes in your blood levels of hormones. There would be a lot of internal changes in hormone levels. Males can become sterile. The skin is subject to rashes, balding may occur and men develop breasts. For women, the breasts shrink and they develop hair in unwanted places.
DT – How about growth hormones which are used by athletes to reduce the down time during workouts?
Dr. C – If you take them long enough, you would get chronic effects such as your head, hands, and feet get bigger.
DT – How is it possible to fool the drug testing when using anabolic steroids and EPO?
Dr. C – David, I don’t feel comfortable answering that question because I’m not in the business of telling people how to beat the testing.
DT – I understand completely. Would I be correct in saying that there are many, many, ways of compromising the testing? Say drinking a gallon of water a few hours prior to a PED urine test?
Dr. C – You would be correct.
DT – Dr. Catlin, I am curious about where you think we are today in reducing PED usage by better testing than we were back in 1998 when a few baseball players hit tons of homeruns which resulted in the era of steroid abuse. Has the level of PED abuse decreased during the years?
Dr. C – I used to think that if you had the right test, the right information, you could control things with drug testing. Now I will admit that there are so many ways to avoid detection. We have solved all the easy problems in drug testing; now we are working on the more complex ones. With all the new drugs it makes drug testing much more difficult. The current testing makes it more difficult for athletes to dope but they are finding more ways to dope without detection. The use of PEDs has decreased but it is not possible to say by how much.
DT – Is it fair to say it’s a battle of good chemist versus bad chemists?
Dr. C – In a way yes, the good chemist are the testers. The bad ones are not necessarily people who are making designer drugs. Many of the drugs are made by legitimate pharmaceutical companies.
DT – Sir, thank you for agreeing to this very informative interview. Keep fighting the good fight in the war on PEDs.
Dr. C – David, you are welcome and I would like to mention that I am starting a voluntary testing program for boxers.
DT- I think this is a great idea that should migrate into all sports. If the athlete is clean, then he should want everyone to know that his performance is not artificially inflated by PEDs.
Readers: Your thoughts about PED testing for boxers? E-mail me at: [email protected]. Many thanks for visiting doghouse boxing and reading this interview.
Rhodes was actually ranked #4 in the division (only behind Cotto, Cintron & Angulo) and was thought to be Canelo's toughest opponent to date (and Canelo won very easily).
Mayorga is a decent fight, he gave Cotto a pretty decent/entertaining fight, I wouldn't mind I think it would be a fun event and definitely fun to see how Canelo handles all the pre-fight shit talking.
Mayorga is a decent fight, he gave Cotto a pretty decent/entertaining fight, I wouldn't mind I think it would be a fun event and definitely fun to see how Canelo handles all the pre-fight shit talking.
Just a heads up, James Kirkland is making his return Friday on Telefutura at 11:30pm EST/ 8:30pm PST for the first time since his crushing defeat and he is reunited with Anne Wolfe. He's fighting a true tomato can in every sense of the term in Dennis Sharpe who has lost his previous 7 consecutive fights, 3 by TKO.
just few stats about current title holders in boxing :
total number of title holders : 82 ( wbo , wba, ibf , wbc , ring )
oldest title holder : bernard hopkins , 46
youngest title holder : saul alvarez 20
title holder with most fights : Pongsaklek Wonjongkam 84
title holder with the least fights : Kazuto Ioka 7 ( wbc strawweight champion )
title holder with the most title defences : chris john , 14
longest reining title holder : chris john , 8 years
least active title holder :guillermo jones , 1 title defence in 3 years
smallest title holder : roman gonzalez ( light flyweight ) 5 f 2
tallest title holder : vitali klitschko 6f 7
smallest title holder with unusual height to weight ratio : Ramón García Hirales , 5'8 fights at light flyweight ( 108 pounds )
heaviest title holder with unusual height to weight ratio : tavoris cloud , 5'10 fights at light heavyweight
title holder with shortest reach : Muhammad Rachman , strawweight , 23 inch
title holder with longest reach : Steve Cunningham 82 inch
total number of title holders : 82 ( wbo , wba, ibf , wbc , ring )
oldest title holder : bernard hopkins , 46
youngest title holder : saul alvarez 20
title holder with most fights : Pongsaklek Wonjongkam 84
title holder with the least fights : Kazuto Ioka 7 ( wbc strawweight champion )
title holder with the most title defences : chris john , 14
longest reining title holder : chris john , 8 years
least active title holder :guillermo jones , 1 title defence in 3 years
smallest title holder : roman gonzalez ( light flyweight ) 5 f 2
tallest title holder : vitali klitschko 6f 7
smallest title holder with unusual height to weight ratio : Ramón García Hirales , 5'8 fights at light flyweight ( 108 pounds )
heaviest title holder with unusual height to weight ratio : tavoris cloud , 5'10 fights at light heavyweight
title holder with shortest reach : Muhammad Rachman , strawweight , 23 inch
title holder with longest reach : Steve Cunningham 82 inch
Legendary
Hopkins is Honored By Pennsylvania Government
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania State Government honored Philadelphia native Bernard Hopkins at the State Capital yesterday for his recent WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship victory as the oldest fighter in boxing history to win a world title. Hopkins was invited by Senator Vincent Hughes, who has represented the state's 7th District (covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County) since 1994. Photo Credit: Office of Senator Hughes
Hopkins made appearances on the House and Senate floors where each chamber presented him with a proclamation honoring his record-breaking victory over Jean Pascal in their championship rematch on May 21 in Montreal.
Following the proclamation on the Senate floor, Hopkins was given the opportunity to speak, and in true Hopkins style, inspired every person in the room as he shared his life story of overcoming obstacles and investing in health in order to reach where he is today.
Hopkins ended his speech by saying, "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, whatever decisions we all make together as one, it affects lives."
Hopkins is Honored By Pennsylvania Government
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania State Government honored Philadelphia native Bernard Hopkins at the State Capital yesterday for his recent WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship victory as the oldest fighter in boxing history to win a world title. Hopkins was invited by Senator Vincent Hughes, who has represented the state's 7th District (covers parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County) since 1994. Photo Credit: Office of Senator Hughes
Hopkins made appearances on the House and Senate floors where each chamber presented him with a proclamation honoring his record-breaking victory over Jean Pascal in their championship rematch on May 21 in Montreal.
Following the proclamation on the Senate floor, Hopkins was given the opportunity to speak, and in true Hopkins style, inspired every person in the room as he shared his life story of overcoming obstacles and investing in health in order to reach where he is today.
Hopkins ended his speech by saying, "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, whatever decisions we all make together as one, it affects lives."
Mayweather Sr: Marquez is too old to beat Pacquiao now
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks that soon to be 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO’s) is too old now and has been through too many wars to beat WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) in their scheduled November 12th fight at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout will be at a 144 pound catch weight, meaning that Marquez will have to either gain weight so as not to be out-muscled by the 144 lb Pacquiao or come in at his normal weight of 135 and risk being the smaller man.
In an interview at fighthype.com, Mayweather Sr. said this about Marquez: Man, Marquez is an old fighter…Marquez won’t put up the same fight this time around against Pacquiao.”
Mayweather Sr. thinks that Pacquiao has a good chance of knocking Marquez out this time because of how Marquez has been struggling in his last couple of fights. Mayweather Sr. also thinks the catch weight will hurt Marquez for this fight and I’m in full agreement with Mayweather Sr. on that. If the age doesn’t get Marquez the catch weight surely will. If the fight were held at a midpoint like 140, then maybe Marquez could be a little more competitive but not at 144. That’s two entire weight divisions that Marquez will have to move up to make the fight. I would have loved the rematch in 2009, but now with Marquez starting to show signs of slowing down as a fighter. The weight and the age is to Pacquiao’s benefit this time around. Mayweather Sr. thinks Marquez should have been given the win in his 2nd fight with Pacquiao, and I totally agree with him on that. Pacquiao won a very, very questionable decision in that fight.
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks that soon to be 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO’s) is too old now and has been through too many wars to beat WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) in their scheduled November 12th fight at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout will be at a 144 pound catch weight, meaning that Marquez will have to either gain weight so as not to be out-muscled by the 144 lb Pacquiao or come in at his normal weight of 135 and risk being the smaller man.
In an interview at fighthype.com, Mayweather Sr. said this about Marquez: Man, Marquez is an old fighter…Marquez won’t put up the same fight this time around against Pacquiao.”
Mayweather Sr. thinks that Pacquiao has a good chance of knocking Marquez out this time because of how Marquez has been struggling in his last couple of fights. Mayweather Sr. also thinks the catch weight will hurt Marquez for this fight and I’m in full agreement with Mayweather Sr. on that. If the age doesn’t get Marquez the catch weight surely will. If the fight were held at a midpoint like 140, then maybe Marquez could be a little more competitive but not at 144. That’s two entire weight divisions that Marquez will have to move up to make the fight. I would have loved the rematch in 2009, but now with Marquez starting to show signs of slowing down as a fighter. The weight and the age is to Pacquiao’s benefit this time around. Mayweather Sr. thinks Marquez should have been given the win in his 2nd fight with Pacquiao, and I totally agree with him on that. Pacquiao won a very, very questionable decision in that fight.
Mayweather-Ortiz on HBO PPV, Erik Morales and Saul Alvarez in undercard fights
By Eric Thomas: The September 17th fight between WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be taking place on HBO pay per view (HBO) with the 24/7 episodes that are made to hype the fight being shown on TNT or TBS.
This would be the equivalent of Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight vs. 39-year-old Shane Mosley having their Fight camp 360 Pacquiao-Mosley episodes being aired on CBS. The Pacquiao-Mosley fight, which promised to be a terrible mismatch, brought in 1.3 million PPV buys.
It’s hoped that the Mayweather-Ortiz fight can bring in equally huge numbers if the 24/7 episodes are shown on TNT or TBS, in addition to HBO. It’s a much, much better fight on paper than the Pacquiao-Mosley fight, and it could wind up with really good numbers.
What can make this a monster PPV fight is that Golden Boy Promotions are looking to have Erik Morales fight on the undercard and WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez defend his title in a split site bout. Having those popular Mexican fighters on the card will possibly make the Mayweather vs. Ortiz card a huge success in terms of PPV buys.
By Eric Thomas: The September 17th fight between WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be taking place on HBO pay per view (HBO) with the 24/7 episodes that are made to hype the fight being shown on TNT or TBS.
This would be the equivalent of Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight vs. 39-year-old Shane Mosley having their Fight camp 360 Pacquiao-Mosley episodes being aired on CBS. The Pacquiao-Mosley fight, which promised to be a terrible mismatch, brought in 1.3 million PPV buys.
It’s hoped that the Mayweather-Ortiz fight can bring in equally huge numbers if the 24/7 episodes are shown on TNT or TBS, in addition to HBO. It’s a much, much better fight on paper than the Pacquiao-Mosley fight, and it could wind up with really good numbers.
What can make this a monster PPV fight is that Golden Boy Promotions are looking to have Erik Morales fight on the undercard and WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez defend his title in a split site bout. Having those popular Mexican fighters on the card will possibly make the Mayweather vs. Ortiz card a huge success in terms of PPV buys.
Alvarez draws 36 million viewers in Mexico for Rhodes bout
By Dan Ambrose: WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez is quickly proving to be Mexico’s biggest boxing star after reportedly drawing 36 million television viewers for his recent 12th round knockout win over British challenger Ryan Rhodes last Saturday night.
These are huge numbers for a little known opponent like Rhodes. The kinds of numbers that Alvarez is bringing are almost of unheard of for a boxer, even in Mexico. If Alvarez can keep winning he’s going to become a massive star along the lines of a Manny Pacquiao, at least in Mexico.
For Alvarez’s popularity to spread outside of his native Mexico it’s going to take more of a concerted effort on Alvarez’s part to start facing better opposition than the likes of Rhodes. Alvarez is only 20, but he needs to get some notable opponents on his resume for him to become a worldwide star.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of legendary boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., also brings in high ratings in Mexico. However, despite being the son of a boxing legend, Chavez Jr. doesn’t bring in the same kinds of numbers that Alvarez does even though Chavez Jr. has been around longer.
By Dan Ambrose: WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez is quickly proving to be Mexico’s biggest boxing star after reportedly drawing 36 million television viewers for his recent 12th round knockout win over British challenger Ryan Rhodes last Saturday night.
These are huge numbers for a little known opponent like Rhodes. The kinds of numbers that Alvarez is bringing are almost of unheard of for a boxer, even in Mexico. If Alvarez can keep winning he’s going to become a massive star along the lines of a Manny Pacquiao, at least in Mexico.
For Alvarez’s popularity to spread outside of his native Mexico it’s going to take more of a concerted effort on Alvarez’s part to start facing better opposition than the likes of Rhodes. Alvarez is only 20, but he needs to get some notable opponents on his resume for him to become a worldwide star.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of legendary boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., also brings in high ratings in Mexico. However, despite being the son of a boxing legend, Chavez Jr. doesn’t bring in the same kinds of numbers that Alvarez does even though Chavez Jr. has been around longer.