Floyd, Shane favor Olympic drug test

NEW YORK – Floyd Mayweather Jr. and welterweight champion Shane Mosley will undergo Olympic-style drug testing for their May 1 fight in Las Vegas, which they hope will set a new standard for boxing.

Representatives of the two fighters joined Travis Tygart of the US Anti-Doping Agency on a conference call Thursday to discuss the program, which is more extensive than the testing that currently falls under the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions.

“This is one of the biggest events I’ve seen in the sport of boxing, and if this introduces Olympic-style testing to boxing, we not only have delivered a great fight but also leveled the field for athletes,” Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions said.

Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to an unlimited number of unannounced blood and urine tests before and after the fight, and the results will be stored so USADA can test them in the future. The samples are screened for all drugs currently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, including human growth hormone and designer steroids such as THG.

Most state athletic commissions test only urine samples, which Tygart said cannot detect several performance-enhancing substances, including HGH.

“For the first time, you have professional athletes in the sport of boxing approaching us to implement an anti-doping program,” Tygart said. “These athletes are courageous in their position and their desire to be held to the most stringent anti-doping standard.”

Mayweather’s insistence on Olympic-style testing is the primary reason negotiations fell through in January for a fight against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather wanted blood tests up to 14 days before the fight, while Pacquiao claims he feels weak after drawing blood and would not agree to testing within 24 days.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum accused Mayweather of trying to get into his fighter’s head by alleging that he used steroids. The negotiations quickly deteriorated, and Pacquiao signed to fight Joshua Clottey while Mayweather turned his attention to Mosley.

“With Floyd being the face of boxing, this is something that he has wanted to put forth,” said Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe. “Every fight from this point on that anybody steps into the ring with him will be subjected to this.” (AP)