Riyadh Season faced another blow to their United States debut card as a participant on the bill tested positive with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency for EPO.
According to media coverage, the news follows millions of dollars in reported losses for the Pay Per View, which failed to sell as expected.
In another punch to the gut, On August 23, VADA sent out a letter to all promoters involved outlining that Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez – the opponent of Steve ‘So Cold’ Nelson, had flagged an analytical finding for blood doping.
SELA, the organizers who staged the event alongside His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, were all named individually on the document. The heading read, “VADA Adverse Analytical Finding – Recombinant EPO Detected,” for the attention of all involved.
They added, “The “A” sample blood specimen number 8014310 collected from Mr. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez on August 3, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, has been analyzed for anabolic agents, diuretics, beta-2 agonists, metabolic modulators, GHRP, stimulants, drugs of abuse, hormones, and related substances. The results of the analyses are as follows: Adverse Analytical Finding: recombinant EPO detected.
“Mr. Vazquez Rodriguez has the right to promptly [within ten days] request analysis of the “B” samples at his expense. Please be aware that VADA does not adjudicate results nor determine whether sanctions are appropriate. As with all results, adverse findings are reported. to the relevant commission(s) and organization(s) who may make such determinations.”
The adverse findings, signed off by VADA’s Margaret Goodman, highlight the sport’s ongoing problems.
Nelson, who fought an opponent with EPO detected, didn’t seem worried after knocking Rodriguez out in five rounds.
“My opponent was cheating and still got his a** beat. Shout out to VADA for continually exposing these dirty athletes,” stated the American.
Calls for tests to be taken a week before events and rushed through before bouts go ahead have been around for years. Due to the timescale involved and the costs, no drug company seems able to comply with that demand.
Boxers are consistently put in a position where they face opponents who could have anything in their system, which is only flagged after the bout. Furthermore, the first step to solving this crisis would be to make anyone who dopes unable to make a living from the sport.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more, read all articles from the experienced boxing writer, and follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
