In less than 3 weeks boxing it seems has been rocked to its core. Gone are the days of innocent until proven guilty, athletes are under a far bigger microscope than ever before.
While many credit Floyd Mayweather Jr for calling for testing in boxing- steroids, blood doping, and other performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) have been around in sports for quite some time.
From the 1976 East Germany Women’s swim team to Canadian Ben Johnson’s 100 meter record breaking 9.79, to American Marion Jones and BALCO, PEDs have been around for quite sometime.
Boxing however seems to be a little late to the party. Peterson and Berto are not the first nor the last boxers to get caught. They are however the first in this new era of testing that is upon the boxing world that makes this new testing absolutely necessary for all major fights from this time forward.
While some have questioned the testing procedures administered by VADA in the Peterson and Berto bouts (especially on twitter), one can not argue that VADA has yielded eye opening results. While positive results may not be what boxing needs in terms of PR, in order for the sweet science to get caught up with many others sports or surpass other sports with the testing, its absolutely necessary fighters be tested.
While Berto may have taken a supplement that may have been contaminated, Berto is responsible for any and all supplements that he takes. Berto is a professional boxer and he should have made absolutely necessary whatever he was taking and whom offered the supplements that they were supplements that could not be compromised in any way. While there are many thoughts of how the contamination occurred the end result is Berto and his team failed to cover ALL their bases. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding by Berto however his mistake has cost him a million dollar payday not to mention the fact of being labeled a cheat by the public regardless of a misunderstanding. Berto will most likely be suspended by the Nevada state athletic commission regardless of the accidental mistake.
The same can be said for Peterson and his issues that occurred with is doctor. While Peterson may have had every good intention to do legal drug therapy in the end Peterson is held responsible for everything he takes.
So while it seems at the time boxing is facing a dark future, 2012 will be looked upon as the turning point when boxing took a stand and embraced new testing that held fighters and their teams far more responsible than they ever had before and that will be the biggest win of all.