Saunders may lose world title after failing drug test
Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO middleweight champion, has failed a voluntary drug test and could face being stripped of his belt ahead of a title defence with the American Demetrius Andrade. The fight is set for Oct 20 in Boston but the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission could refuse to license the 29-yearold from Hertfordshire.
It was first reported on ESPN in the United States that Saunders tested positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine after a Voluntary Anti-doping Association test. The same substance resulted in suspensions for the sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell in 2013. Oxilofrine helps to burn fat and can increase adrenalin production, endurance and aid the oxygenation of the blood.
Though Saunders failed a Vada test, he will not face any punishment from the British Boxing Board of Control because oxilofrine is only banned in the UK “in competition”, which the BBBOFC defines as being on the day of the fight. The test was taken in Sheffield on Aug 30.
Earlier this week Saunders, who is undefeated in a 26-fight, nineyear career, was fined £100,000 by the BBBOFC for “bringing the sport into disrepute”.
The board’s ruling stems from an incident earlier this month when a video appeared online apparently showing Saunders encouraging a woman to assault a stranger in exchange for drugs. After the incident, Saunders tweeted that he was “totally in the wrong.”
A statement last night from Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren said: “Following reports of an adverse analytical finding in a test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-doping Association ... we can confirm that the product concerned is permitted to be used ‘out of competition’ by United Kingdom Anti-doping in line with the regulations of the World Anti-doping Agency. For the avoidance of doubt, the product in question was a common decongestant nasal spray.”
The venue for Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title fight against Deontay Wilder on Dec 1 will be the Staples Center in Los Angeles, it has been announced.
Meanwhile, George Groves’s
World champion: Billy Joe Saunders tested positive for banned stimulant oxilofrine long road to fitness takes him to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this evening when he contests the final of the World Boxing Super Series.
The World Boxing Association super-middleweight champion defends his title against unbeaten fellow Englishman Callum Smith.
Londoner Groves, 30, believes Smith will provide a sterner test than Chris Eubank Jr, against whom he dislocated a shoulder in the penultimate round in the semi-final of the tournament in February. Groves admitted that, physically, his recovery was “the hardest thing” he ever had to do.
The move to the Middle East for the final was to satisfy the backers of the lucrative tournament, with a £7 million prize for the winner.