Bad Left Hook

Promoter Lou DiBella says he's all for a fight between his man Andy Lee and WBC middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, but he'd prefer to have VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) testing for the fight. From Rick Reeno at BoxingScene.com:

"I'm not accusing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr of anything. That simply wouldn't be fair. Is it any surprise that a guy who looks like a skeleton at a weigh-in and then gains 20 pounds, looks like King Kong and doesn't have a second of tiring - doesn't want to take an anti-doping test? I'm not saying it's a [deal-breaker], but we would prefer to use the VADA testing," DiBella told BoxingScene.com.

VADA is led by Dr. Margaret Goodman, who has an extensive history in the fight game. The company was going to be used for the February 11 fight between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, before Berto injured his bicep and had to pull out of the fight. Berto, like Lee, has his fights promoted by DiBella.

Obviously, this is coming up because of the apparent lack of post-fight testing of Chavez and opponent Marco Antonio Rubio on Saturday night. Rubio is very suspicious and his team is planning to file a protest.

VADA, like USADA (which is used by Floyd Mayweather Jr), administers random testing before fights. Chavez has tested positive for a diuretic in the past, after which the WBC made a dramatic show of finding him some health professionals to find his proper fighting weight. They acted like he'd come down with some terrible illness and needed the prayers and support of the public or something. In its way, it was quite hilarious.

On that note, coincidence or not that the last time, prior to Saturday, that Chavez looked really sluggish in the ring was that fight with Troy Rowland on the Pacquiao vs Cotto undercard, after which he popped the positive test?

This whole situation really stinks. I can't help but agree with what some of you have said: If someone's going to be corrupt, could they at least try to cover it up instead of just saying, "Uh, we forgot to test! Damn. Well, see ya!"

Still, if DiBella says it isn't a deal-breaker, then what's the point of even saying this in public? I mean, if it's not a deal-breaker and the fight can be made anyway, what the hell incentive do Chavez and Top Rank have to agree to the extra testing? I guess you could say they'd prove to the public he's clean, but since when do Chavez or Top Rank care what the public thinks about Chavez?

All that said, I still don't get this claim that Chavez didn't show any stamina issues. I thought he clearly did. I thought he also clearly said he was feeling his legs give out on him in the fight. I mean, like, it's nice that Rubio thinks he didn't have stamina problems, but that doesn't make it true, no matter the circumstances surrounding the other BS.