During a telephone conference earlier today Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley both agree to take random drug testing as they prepare for there showdown on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The program involves no-advance-notice sample collection of the athletes’ blood and urine prior to and after the fight so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
They will be beginning the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) gold standard anti-doping program on Monday, March 22.
“I am excited that Shane Mosley and I are willing to take these tests to ensure a fair fight on May 1,” said Mayweather. “I just want to show the world that boxing is a clean sport and it is my hope that all fighters will take a similar stance and responsibility which reflects sportsmanship at the highest level and sets a new standard for safety in boxing.”
“I think the testing program is a great idea and I did not hesitate for a minute about agreeing to it,” said Mosley. “Let’s hope that the rest of the boxing world follows Floyd’s and my example.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, “Floyd is leading the way for changing the sport and I commend him for that. Some people have asked why he has not asked for it in the past but it is never too late to take a stand on an issue that is prevalent in all sports today and ask for something that can only have positive results on the future of boxing.”
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said, “Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport. I commend both of these fighters for setting a new precedent in the sport and giving others an opportunity to reflect on its current state and how, as a collective group, we can continue to make the sport better, safer and fairer for anyone who steps in to the ring.”
“I believe today is another watershed moment in the advancement of anti-doping,” said USADA CEO, Travis T. Tygart. “For the first time, we’re seeing professional athletes in the sport of boxing approach us to implement our program, and take ownership for the integrity of their sport. This is courageous action and we are proud to be a part of this effort to help further advance the rights of clean athletes to participate in a safe, level and drug-free arena.”