Thanks, Meldonium!
Thanks, Meldonium!
Despite dominating the heavyweight scene in the 20th century, only a handful of American heavyweights had been able to capture belts at hea
By Patrick Connor
Despite dominating the heavyweight scene in the 20th century, only a handful of American heavyweights had been able to capture belts at heavyweight since 2000. It was hoped that Deontay Wilder's seizure of the WBC belt from Haitian Bermane Stiverne in 2015 could lead to a renewed Stateside interest in the big men, and therefore boxing. Wilder did his part by maintaining a high knockout percentage, but a defense of his belt against Alexander Povetkin in Russia this weekend was to have confirmed that Wilder was or wasn't among the top few heavyweights in the world.
Since procuring one of the heavyweight division's several belts, Wilder has made three defenses. All were against inferior opponents, and Wilder struggled in two of them. Meanwhile Povetkin became Wilder's mandatory challenger, raising eyebrows after turning into a vascular, ferocious knockout puncher out of nowhere, 10 years into his professional career. Povetkin's promoter Andrey Ryabinsky then won a purse bid earlier this year, thereby ensuring that any advantages Povetkin had would be amplified on his own turf.
Last Friday the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency informed both fighters' camps that Povetkin had tested positive meldonium, a banned substance used in a medical setting for increasing blood flow. The fight has since been postponed, triggering usual responses ranging from disgust to disappointment, but this time it's different for a few reasons.
The drug that squashed the whole production, meldonium, is relatively new as a known performance enhancer in sports. Produced in Latvia, meldonium was placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned substance list at the start of the year and is most famous for getting Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova into hot water. But just one month ago, WADA cleared the way to grant immunity to many athletes who had tested positive for meldonium prior to 2016, citing lack of scientific evidence in regards to how long the drug can stay in the system. Nonetheless it was found to have been used by hundreds of athletes at the 2015 European Games alone.
None of the immunity should affect Povetkin, however. Not only was it determined that Povetkin had tested clean at least three times in the month leading to his positive test, but Russia is knee-deep in attempted anti-doping reform. In November of 2015, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was suspended by WADA after an investigation found widespread doping and promised to investigate Russia's participation in the 2014 Olympics. Just two weeks before Povetkin's positive test WADA had appointed former war crimes investigator Peter Nicholson to lead anti-doping reform in Russia amid calls for the country's ban in the upcoming Olympics in Rio.
Russia has a serious doping issue, but boxing has its own as it simply hasn't been made to seriously improve its anti-doping protocols, and it is ill equipped to deal with any kind of complex or ongoing issue like this. The immediate confusion that set in after both fighters' camps were made aware of the test result is proof that boxing, one of the more inherently dangerous sports on the planet, still has a very convoluted and ineffective system in place to catch and punish performance enhancing drug users.
Use of banned substances in boxing was always a sort of theoretical concept rather than something that could be seen or measured. But finally in July of 2015 one fighter had his career and life changed by an opponent who would test positive for performance enhancing drugs. Heavyweight David Price all but retired following his crushing knockout loss to Erkan Teper, and for perhaps the first time the issue became far less complex.
Increased testing in boxing means that more fights will be postponed or canceled, more fighters suspended or banned, as boxing's doping problems are worked out. It's an inevitable byproduct of reform, and some might not be willing to ride it out for the sake of a level playing field. Who can blame them? Wilder-Povetkin was a very close fight on paper that was unlikely to go the distance, and that isn't easy to come by among the upper echelon of heavyweights these days.
Fans got used to not expecting much of a division that has been weak for years, and Wilder's bland reign proved to be an extension of that cynicism. Vindication loomed for either Wilder and his fans, or his detractors who never believed he belonged at the top. Now the sport is down another fight in a weary 2016, and both fighters are in limbo for the time being.
"As the heavyweights go, so goes boxing." It's a saying that may not even ring true anymore, but the division is on the cusp of a resurgence with undefeated stars like Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker on the rise, and champion Tyson Fury's success with his attention-getting antics and quirky style. The winner of Wilder-Povetkin thrown into the mix would have at least added intrigue. It's unclear whether or not the perception of fairness in boxing is worth sacrificing the fights themselves, but this letdown means Wilder and hopes for American heavyweights stay where they are.
Despite dominating the heavyweight scene in the 20th century, only a handful of American heavyweights had been able to capture belts at heavyweight since 2000. It was hoped that Deontay Wilder's seizure of the WBC belt from Haitian Bermane Stiverne in 2015 could lead to a renewed Stateside interest in the big men, and therefore boxing. Wilder did his part by maintaining a high knockout percentage, but a defense of his belt against Alexander Povetkin in Russia this weekend was to have confirmed that Wilder was or wasn't among the top few heavyweights in the world.
Since procuring one of the heavyweight division's several belts, Wilder has made three defenses. All were against inferior opponents, and Wilder struggled in two of them. Meanwhile Povetkin became Wilder's mandatory challenger, raising eyebrows after turning into a vascular, ferocious knockout puncher out of nowhere, 10 years into his professional career. Povetkin's promoter Andrey Ryabinsky then won a purse bid earlier this year, thereby ensuring that any advantages Povetkin had would be amplified on his own turf.
Last Friday the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency informed both fighters' camps that Povetkin had tested positive meldonium, a banned substance used in a medical setting for increasing blood flow. The fight has since been postponed, triggering usual responses ranging from disgust to disappointment, but this time it's different for a few reasons.
The drug that squashed the whole production, meldonium, is relatively new as a known performance enhancer in sports. Produced in Latvia, meldonium was placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned substance list at the start of the year and is most famous for getting Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova into hot water. But just one month ago, WADA cleared the way to grant immunity to many athletes who had tested positive for meldonium prior to 2016, citing lack of scientific evidence in regards to how long the drug can stay in the system. Nonetheless it was found to have been used by hundreds of athletes at the 2015 European Games alone.
None of the immunity should affect Povetkin, however. Not only was it determined that Povetkin had tested clean at least three times in the month leading to his positive test, but Russia is knee-deep in attempted anti-doping reform. In November of 2015, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was suspended by WADA after an investigation found widespread doping and promised to investigate Russia's participation in the 2014 Olympics. Just two weeks before Povetkin's positive test WADA had appointed former war crimes investigator Peter Nicholson to lead anti-doping reform in Russia amid calls for the country's ban in the upcoming Olympics in Rio.
Russia has a serious doping issue, but boxing has its own as it simply hasn't been made to seriously improve its anti-doping protocols, and it is ill equipped to deal with any kind of complex or ongoing issue like this. The immediate confusion that set in after both fighters' camps were made aware of the test result is proof that boxing, one of the more inherently dangerous sports on the planet, still has a very convoluted and ineffective system in place to catch and punish performance enhancing drug users.
Use of banned substances in boxing was always a sort of theoretical concept rather than something that could be seen or measured. But finally in July of 2015 one fighter had his career and life changed by an opponent who would test positive for performance enhancing drugs. Heavyweight David Price all but retired following his crushing knockout loss to Erkan Teper, and for perhaps the first time the issue became far less complex.
Increased testing in boxing means that more fights will be postponed or canceled, more fighters suspended or banned, as boxing's doping problems are worked out. It's an inevitable byproduct of reform, and some might not be willing to ride it out for the sake of a level playing field. Who can blame them? Wilder-Povetkin was a very close fight on paper that was unlikely to go the distance, and that isn't easy to come by among the upper echelon of heavyweights these days.
Fans got used to not expecting much of a division that has been weak for years, and Wilder's bland reign proved to be an extension of that cynicism. Vindication loomed for either Wilder and his fans, or his detractors who never believed he belonged at the top. Now the sport is down another fight in a weary 2016, and both fighters are in limbo for the time being.
"As the heavyweights go, so goes boxing." It's a saying that may not even ring true anymore, but the division is on the cusp of a resurgence with undefeated stars like Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker on the rise, and champion Tyson Fury's success with his attention-getting antics and quirky style. The winner of Wilder-Povetkin thrown into the mix would have at least added intrigue. It's unclear whether or not the perception of fairness in boxing is worth sacrificing the fights themselves, but this letdown means Wilder and hopes for American heavyweights stay where they are.