Oscar Valdez failed his test for phentermine ahead of a scheduled September 10 bout, but will still be allowed to compete.
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As a sport so historically linked with everything from disorganization to outright corruption, boxing has rarely been its best advocate from a public relations standpoint. Look no further than the fallout of unbeaten WBC junior lightweight champion Oscar Valdez’s positive test for the banned substance phentermine. However, it won’t keep him from defending his title against amateur rival Robson Conceicao (16-0, 8 KOs) in their September 10 bout.
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Athletic Commission ruled Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) will be allowed to proceed with the fight despite both his A- and B-sample tests, collected by the Volunteer Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) on Aug. 13, coming up dirty.
? Oscar Valdez releases a statement regarding his failed drugs test#ValdezConceicao | #boxrawpic.twitter.com/ICWnjWmE05
— BOXRAW (@BOXRAW) September 4, 2021
Pascua Yaqui commissioner Ernie Gallardo declined to explain its decision to ESPN. Meanwhile, WBC president Mauricio Suliaman said the sanctioning body won’t prevent Valdez from defending his title which he won via a spectacular 10th-round knockout against Miguel Berchelt in February. Suliaman also said Valdez wouldn’t face a punishment of any kind.
The optics of the decision are just as horrible for the sport’s integrity as the overall situation is confusing.
Phentermine, a central nervous stimulant that increases endurance, is listed as a banned substance by VADA, which both fighters signed up for. The WBC also uses the agency as part of its Clean Boxing Program. VADA costs less than similar testing agencies. It holds a reputation for being the most thorough in the sport due to its use of Carbon Isotope Ratio (CIR) testing.
The Pascua Yaqui commission, however, only adheres to the World Anti-Doping Agency rules which only bans the substance if taken during an “in-competition period”, which begins 11:59 p.m. on the night before a fight. Phentermine has a half-life, according to an ESPN report, of roughly 20 hours, which means it can be fully eliminated from a fighter’s system in as little as four days.
Valdez, a 30-year-old native of Mexico, claimed he had “no knowledge” he had taken the banned substance. He was tested again on August 30 and came back negative, although that test came 17 days after his initial failed result.
VADA only reports results and doesn’t adjudicate, which puts the onus on the commission to decide Valdez’s fate. Both Valdez’s lawyer, Pat English, and promoter, Bob Arum, explained away the failed test by blaming Valdez’s switch from coffee to herbal tea during training camp.
Regardless of the honesty of Valdez’s claim, or whether the trace amounts found in his system were intentional or not, having him move forward with defending his title on a large platform is a tragedy in the face of whatever little credibility boxing still retains concerning drug testing and the health and wellness of its participants.
A report suggested that there were 1,501 tests done by USADA in boxing over an eight-year span beginning in 2010. However, only one positive test was reported to a state athletic commission. The test in question was Erik Morales’ in 2012, a positive result on both his A- and B-sample for clenbuterol. This only came to light due to it being leaked on the internet by a website which no longer operates. Even worse, Morales was still allowed to fight in what would become the final bout of his Hall-of-Fame career. A fourth-round knockout in his rematch with then-unified junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia.
Valdez’s situation is similar to that of Garcia. He’s still allowed to fight despite the damning evidence. This comes even after a recent precedent of VADA rules leading to a punishment when Billy Joe Saunders saw his 2018 bout with Demetrius Andrade cancelled by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission. Saunders tested positive for oxilofrine, which was banned by VADA despite being deemed as out of competition by WADA.
Whether boxing’s drug testing protocols are in place for nothing more than lip service or not, a rule was broken. A banned substance, ruled as such by the very testing body that both fighters agreed to use, was clearly found. Ignoring the situation and moving on with business as usual for the greater good of the holy dollar is about as hypocritical a move as one can imagine.
