USADA to handle drug testing for Mayweather-Mosley fight

A Colorado Springs drug-enforcement organization will handle testing for a much-hyped bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, with both boxers agreeing to give more than a handful of no-notice blood and urine samples the next six weeks.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was appointed Thursday to dictate a stringent drug-testing program before the May 1 welterweight championship fight in Las Vegas – the first time professional boxers have voluntarily subjected themselves to the hands of USADA.

Like Olympic and Paralympic athletes in USADA’s out-of-competition testing pool, the unbeaten Mayweather (40-0 with 25 knockouts) and Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) would receive a two-year suspension and have results disqualified for testing positive for a drug on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances beginning Monday.

Blood testing long has been part of USADA’s procedures, and Mayweather demanded it, even after he lost a chance to split a $50 million purse with pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao, whose refusal to be blood-tested within 24 days of a fight caused their March bout to be canceled. Mayweather predicts a $40 million payday for facing Mosley.

USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart said urine tests aren’t capable of detecting at least four “potent” drugs, including human growth hormone. Plus, with blood samples from Mayweather and Mosley expected to be kept eight years, the International Olympic Committee standard, USADA could later test for substances not currently detectable.

“It is simply false to say urine can detect everything that you would be concerned about,” Tygart said. “It can’t. You have to do blood. There’s no other reason we would be doing blood. If we didn’t have to do blood to have an effective program, why would we do it?”

A four-time world champion, Mosley admitted to using designer steroids “the clear” and “the cream,” as well as the energy-booster EPO before he beat Oscar De La Hoya in 2003 but claimed he didn’t know they were steroids, supplied by Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO). He has a pending lawsuit against Conte.

Tygart maintains Mosley’s alleged steroid use isn’t an issue because “if he did cheat, and he does again, he would be caught and exposed in our program. … If you’re clean, you have no reason not to be part of this type of program. In fact, you demand it.”

“Shane would not be doing this if there were any doubt in his mind he’s a clean athlete,” said Mosley’s attorney, Judd Burstein. “We’re talking about something that happened six years ago. … Shane didn’t hesitate for a moment to do this because he knows he’s a clean athlete, and what happened six years ago was unfortunate. He was misled.”

Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, refuted suggestions his fighter waited too long to ask for USADA’s help, arguing “it’s never too late for something good. With both guys stepping up and saying they’re clean athletes, it’s great for the sport. If guys volunteer for more stringent testing, how can you go wrong with that?”

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