No drugs turns a chin to granite

MENTION drug-taking in sport and most people's eyes glaze over.
The subject is about as sexy as a nun's habit. But, thanks to Manny Pacquiao, boxing has had the finger of suspicion levelled against it.

Allegations have been flying that boxing has a major drug problem that it is sweeping under the canvas. This has come about because Pacquiao refused Floyd Mayweather Jnr's demand that he must undergo Olympic-style testing before any showdown between them.

The damaging inference from the Mayweather camp could not be made any clearer.

They claim Pacquiao's success in winning world titles from flyweight to welterweight has been possible only because he has been taking performance-enhancing substances - and that is the main reason he's been able to remain so strong as he travelled up through the weights from eight to 10½st.

Pacquiao, understandably, is incensed by such a derogatory accusation aimed at ruining his reputation.

He should have been fighting Mayweather in the ring next month. Instead, the pair will be battling it out in court.

The Filipino is suing Mayweather for defamation and he said this week: "I feel hurt and disappointed because I don't even know what a steroid is."

Victor Conte does. He is the Californian who went to jail a few years ago for supplying sprinter Marion Jones and many other sport stars with steroids.

Conte has attacked boxing authorities for being less than vigilant in pursuit of drug cheats. The World Anti-Doping Agency agree.

He said: "I don't believe professional boxing wants to know how rampant the use of drugs really is.

"It's time for positive change. There should be random blood and urine tests leading up to fights. Taking samples just before and after fights is not effective."

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Conte's remarks were aimed at the US where Roy Jones Jnr, Shane Mosley and James Toney are the only high-profile fighters who have tested positive for steroid use.

For legal reasons I can't name names but in my time covering major fights in the States there were a number of household names under suspicion.

Even Muhammad Ali was found guilty of taking diuretics to lose excess weight before he fought Larry Holmes.

The British Boxing Board of Control carry out approximately 70 random tests a year.

In the past seven years only seven of our boxers have been found to have taken illegal drugs - none of them champions.

Board secretary Robert Smith told me: "We are certainly not complacent but I honestly don't think we have anything to worry about in this country."

James DeGale, who fights Matthew Barr at Wembley tomorrow, is surprised he hasn't been tested since he started life as pro a year ago.

He said: "In Olympic year I had three random tests before I even got to Beijing."

The chemists who supply the drugs and masking agents are clever scientists.

But I defy them to produce a pill that will put steel in a fighter's heart or granite in his chin.

Source: thesun.co.uk