Boxing Will Never Be A “Cheat-phobic” Sport

BY Scottie “The Context” White

Annual support of boxing flourishes as one of the most recognizable combat sports globally. A tough mitigation of two physical components either male or female to authoritate a will of dominance over the other. A part for which a challenge deals in conflict, punishment and absent of post career benefits even in death. Recently, the sport consumed two warriors  Maxim Dadashev and Hugo Santillán. Not from a lack of boxing experience but a medical debilitation absent of any predetermine or existing diagnoses to potentially save their lives. Boxing has and will always be one of toughest, full contact sports on the planet. As they imply to military service members quite often, you get what you sign up for and in these times foster the sacrifice suited in tragedy, as one may in reference sign out with their own life.

Where there is thunder, more often than none, there is lighting. This has precipitated in the worse way in degrading such a bright casting on the biggest division of boxing-The heavyweights.   Sitting back in assessment, the boxing public has yearning for depth to the competitive range of the heavyweight dominion, we were in search of the best fighting the best but while the elevator was attending the contractual levels of assertion in making these fights happen, we needed the underbelly to suffice our boxing appetites.

The current heavyweight champions at that time were WBC Deontay Wilder 41-0 (40KOs)  and Antony Joshua 22-0 (21KOs). So the perimeter of opposition outside of these two giants were names like Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury, Luis Ortiz, Joseph Parker and Jarrell Miller in hosting the head of the divisional fraternity.  To highlight how important the list of opposition merits to the general boxing communal is extremely important, one that is essential to the matchmakers in placing buts to the seats for selling tickets.

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was forced to crossover the streaming miles of the UK pond to an unfamiliar battlefront for the first time, a meeting in the United States at the grand MSG Madison Square Garden NYC.   The news radiated sporadically through the rumor mills of AP media and finally after months of speculation the news was officially announced.   Anthony Joshua versus Jarrell Miller.  A couple of press tours commenced, citing an ill-tempered fledgling rivalry which exuded genuine disdain but moreso emitting from Miller who shoved Joshua during their face-off.  Fans were biting, the interest was keen and the social media brigades march their fingertips to the tune of keyboard jubilee in settling in predictions as to who the winner could be.

For promoters, this is exactly the energy and goal orientated attention they are seeking in selling the fight.   Just the right raucous to draw in casuals, mainstreamers and purist vesting in the media rays of broadcast as each fighter made their rounds to bloviate the clash.  This was Joshua American debut,  which was considerably a big deal faming the US versus UK collision course for these heavyweight titans.   What could go wrong as boxing history has adjudicated countless times prior in experiencing many variables unforeseen until the breaking news hit the scenes.  Miller name would surface under a firestorm or fury of failing his Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) test submitted 20 March, 2019. 

This was catastrophic to the future bout schedule for 1 June with Josha.    UK promoter Eddie Hearns responding to the news saying his fighter Joshua would continue his training regime as the internal findings are siphoned for action.   There was a glimmer of hope for Miller if he selected to have a full investigation.  His pocketed days betwixt the now and up to the fight would be insufficient to aquit him from his fickle to attend his calendared showdown.  Now the news is out, the stances, promotional footwork and Josha team is forced to squad expeditiously in locating a viable opponent to sustain the 1 June fight date or lose out tremendously.

MILLER DRUG TEST FINDINGS

The options are dense as I mentioned earlier, haloing names as Luis Ortiz, Dillian Whyte,  or even Joseph Parker who dropped a decision to Joshua 3 March, 2018.  It would be several weeks to figure it all out but what we knew quickly was Miller was out, so if you’re puzzled as to residue of his findings, here you go!

In addition  to the contest being schedule here in the United States in Miller backyard, Miller squandered a deal of a life time in testing positive for substance GW1516.  Below is a brief summation to the banned substance prohibited following a spike in its usage at the 2008 Olympic Games. Quote-

“ GW1516 was banned by nearly every anti-doping commission. Multiple positive tests in 2013 led to the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) issued a health risk warning on the substance, but it has not stopped its use and the number of positive tests rose from fewer than six in 2016 to 31 in 2017.”

“Furthermore, “Cardarine (GW 501516) is NOT a SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator).  Rather it is a Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta (PPAR) agonist which binds to those receptors.  This means the activity in the gene is changed, causing a shift in how energy is put out.  This translates into an ability to push harder and longer when it comes to endurance, without becoming winded.  This can help you not just with cardio/running, but also in the weight room since you can push out another repetition and workout for longer without becoming tired.“

“Keep in mind this mode of action is not like taking a stimulant which sharply increases your heart rate and actually causes you to get winded faster.  Cardarine (GW501516) does the opposite, you are able to rev up the engine more, without spiking your heart rate.”

Joshua team somehow moving forward, played a poor game of eenie mennie miney mo, in a decision to pick what they believed was an underrated or unfamiliar proposed opponent in Andy Ruiz, he stepped in to face Joshua in one of the biggest upsets this year in earning a Seventh round TKO stoppage over Joshua equating four knockdowns on that faithful night in the boxing annals.

DAZN FIGHTER DILLIAN WHYTE SCANDAL

If the first half of this articulated bunker of incoming boxing insurgency placed you on high alert, then I wouldn’t suggest you posture up just yet to scan for an all clear because there is even more airborne shrapnel from the recent news of another heavyweight contender having tested for a ban substance.  A fighter who is on record for excoriating Miller viciously for his demise, now himself was scheduled to face Oscar Rivas for his place as the WBC mandatory.  The fight happened and so did the scandal. Tune In below to a snippet of the bandit Dillian Whyte, a UK boxer 26-1 (18KOs). First let revisit his IFL TV interview in hearing the news of Miller positive test.

Dillian Whyte on Jarrell Miller – “Why you shocked, I ain’t shocked.  He fought Johann Duhaupas  37-4 (24KOs), Miller throwed over 200 punches in the 11^th round, over 200 punches in the 11^th round and he’s 500-lbs. How can you be shocked?” 

IFL TV – “Three failed test

DW- Shiteedd, shiteedd. You know they call him Jarrell “Pharmacy” Miller.  Pharmacy his career.

IFL TV- What do you make of the video he released.

DW- I wanted to punch him in his face. Find him, shake his belly and punch him in the face. Whats so funny, he talk so much shit and he fails drug test. It not the end of it yet. Giggles, Giggles, there is more coming. He was on hardcore stuff, he was looking to kill somebody. He took it serious, real serious.

I’ll pause the video transcript right there as I have posted the link in its entirety below,  so the viewers can tune in accordingly.

To be clear, Jarrell Miller 23-0 (20KOs) a heavyweight contender is totally wrong in his culpability as a professional boxer who was on the cusp to compete in his largest payday of his boxing tenure, on the biggest stage, and for the bulk of the divisional crowning stocks WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles respectfully. For him to contaminate his chances while treading up to a legacy defining moment versus Anthony Joshua, who at the time was the unified heavyweight champion.  Splitting the ropes to grace the four-post squared circle versus the man to beat that night, for Miller would have catapulted him to a pedestal of prominence he’s dreamt for many years. For it is now diminished, a thought in hindsight that will shred his serenity for years to come.   I had the opportunity to speak with Miller briefly at a fight card in Newark NJ.  Check out the link to the video to his hear his response. 

So back to the finishing touches on Whyte recent debacle.  There are some supporters who may condemn Whyte to a much heavier bolder of criticism because there was predetermine findings to the sum of two days.  Ample time that would have prevented him from facing his opponent Oscar Rivas in a deleterious affliction of combat.  Check out a cited article clip https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/31/dillian-whyte-provisionally-suspended-wbc-drugs-test-findings-boxing

“Whyte, who was cleared to fight by UK Anti-Doping and the British BoxingBoard of Control, won the WBC’s interim title and the right to challenge champion Deontay Wilder after his unanimous decision win. However the WBC – whose officials say they were not informed of the positive sample before the contest – said in a statement: “A sample Ukad collected from Mr Dillian Whyte in relation with his bout against Oscar Rivas yielded an adverse finding.“

“In light of that adverse finding, and pending the outcome of the WBC’s own investigation and adjudicatory process, the WBC is provisionally suspending the WBC’s recognition of Dillian Whyte as WBC interim world heavyweight champion and mandatory challenger of the division. “The WBC has notified Mr Whyte and his team of the WBC’s suspension and that it will afford Mr Whyte the opportunity to present its position to the WBC at an investigative hearing which will take place at a place and time to be announced in the near future. Whyte was cleared to take part in the fight with Rivas – which he won on points – after attending an independent panel hearing.”

DRUGS, GLOVES, A LACK OF INTEGRITY IN ALL ABOVE

A caveat to the boiling seepage of fuming perspiration exuding from Whyte as he awaits the totality of his punishment. There are the looming speculation of suspicious gloves worn by Whyte on the night of the fight, a pair of hand carried weapons that are carefully inspected for the protection of any fighter earning a malicious advantage. Rivas was subjected to one of the worse predicaments of prognosticated fears to a fighters imaginative reckoning. He was able to distance a dirty fighter, endure uninspected gloves and displaying the first lost on his record which is hopeful to be rendered a no contest when its all said an done.

Marrying up both sides to these needle point executives, a pair of fighters who have devastated many of those who were dependent on their growth in the sport, the embodied expectations in earning millions for all the hard work. All of it is reprehensible, the multiple scales to Miller results as a repeat cheat and Whyte upping the anti failing drug test, glove scandal and being unequivocally a repeat offender once more. I’m sure I don’t stand on my square absent of company in voicing my displeasure in writing on such mischievous to the core. Let’s catalog the obvious as I close down to my last point. Protocols are in place as preventive measures to circumvent and prohibited blatant cheating methods for the protection of the fighters best interest but to credit our instinctive genesis we must know there will never be a panacea for rapacious snollygosters.