Artur Beterbiev had an “atypical finding" for test and HGH

Roy Jones Jr
Canelo
James Toney
Antonio Tarver
Shane Mosley
Luis Ortiz (turned to the Dark Side by the PED gurus in US gyms)
Brandon Rios
Holyfield
Fernando Vargas
Tommy Morrison
Ryan Martin
Willie Monroe Jr.
Frans Botha (turned to the Dark Side by the PED gurus in US gyms)
Roy Jones Jr.
Bermane Stiverne
Erik Morales
Ali Funeka
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
Lamont Peterson
Danny Batchelder
Andre Berto
Orlando Salido
Luis Nery
Mickey Bey
J'Leon Love
Oscar Valdez
Tony Thompson
Luis Arias
Livingstone Bramble
Aaron Pryor
Roy Jones Jr.
Shannon Briggs
Roy Jones Jr.
Tyrone Spong (turned to the Dark Side by the PED gurus in US gyms)
Anthony Ferrante
Vince Phillips
Monte Barrett
Eloy Perez
Joan Guzman
Andrzej Fonfara ((turned to the Dark Side by the PED gurus in US gyms)
Mia St. John
Ricardo Mayorga
Roy Jones Jr.
Richard Hall
Yuriorkis Gamboa ((turned to the Dark Side by the PED gurus in US gyms)
Stevie Johnson
Jameel McCline
Joey Gilbert
Roy Jones Jr.
Frankie Randall
Virgil Hill
Ray Beltran
John Molina
Hector Marengo
Manuel Vargas

 

'Heavyweight contender Jameel McCline, who is set to challenge WBC interim heavyweight champion Samuel Peter on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, has been accused of receiving more than $12,000 worth of steroids, human growth hormone and related drugs. Citing an unnamed source 'familiar with the clinic,' the New York Daily News is running with a story that alleges that McCline received testosterone, Stanozolol and Nandrolone, along with human growth hormone and Tamoxifen between March 2005 and December 2006'




'The ex-pugilist said he never tested positive for PEDs and then, “Of course we were using! Everybody was using. You cannot compete at that level amongst the best in the world and not use. It’s insane to even think that!”

Yes, he went there. Fans want to see the tremendous exploits, from boxers to cyclists, but don’t want to really consider the seamy possibilities, as to how they are SO effective.

“You’re out of your mind to call me or anyone else who does this a cheater,” he said. “As a matter of fact, that we were willing to put chemicals into our body to be able to perform at our peak, of course we were (using)!”

McCline said that using PEDs shows dedication to craft. “We’re not doing steroids,” he said. Actually highly complex medications, developed to treat cancer side effects and such, were what he used. “We just knew how to beat the tests back then. I don’t know what these guys are doing anymore,” he stated.

He said he doesn’t think he has any health effects, which could have stemmed from using the exotic chemicals. (I noted that we had Mia St John, another ex-fighter, on the show and she regrets using PEDs.) He doesn’t think so. Some depression, yes; it ain’t easy to come down from being treated like a rock star.

“I don’t have any regrets because it was a part of the game.” McCline sees this choice as one he needed to grab, to excel, “Did I cheat to get there? No. I thought I was being intelligent because the goal is to get there. And being that we weren’t using steroids, I don’t know that it was wrong. Why can’t I use a medication that was built for someone who has breathing issues? Or for someone that has blood issues, that can’t develop red blood cells?…Why can’t I take growth hormones that was made for the AIDS patient?…I think it it’s courageous; I think it’s intelligent because you know it can hurt you…I know it is wayyyy over-the-top thinking. But if you really talk to guys who’ve done it, deep down, they’re saying the exact same thing I’m saying. It’s not cheating; it helped.”

He was introduced to the PEDs when he was an “apprentice” and, no, he won’t name names who showed him the “dark” light. He spoke of the fancy chemicals which served him well; EPO (erythropoietin, which stimulates red blood cell production and growth), he said, worked wonders, as did Procrit (which also boosts blood cell levels).

McCline mentioned a couple guys whom he thought were not using “back in the day” but communicated that he thought just about everyone was looking to get that chemical edge, “I paid doctors, chemists. It was injected into the business plan; that’s how big a part the preparation was,” he said. McCline is pretty sure that many of the A-grade hoopsters are using HGH (human growth hormones) and the like.

And so should we just allow PEDs to be used? “I wish it were regulated and brought above the table…These aren’t illegal substances; these are banned substances from sports,” he said.

McCline shared when he started engaging with PEDs and said, “It is part of the platform,” and, “I wish guys were more honest about it.” He hopes that people who have retired are willing to come clean and admit what they did.

“No regrets, Michael,” he said, firmly.

We talked about then and now and the degree of prevalence of use now. “Internationally it is still very accepted in the forefront, behind the scenes. In boxing, I’ve noticed, this VADA is serious,” he said. McCline added that experts are necessary to be able to beat the tests and people know the tests are coming more frequently, so, “I suspect it’s definitely gone down in boxing.”

My three cents: I appreciate McCline being willing to put out a politically incorrect take. He told us he didn’t really have to deliberate going public with his usage and the presence of PEDs in the sport.

“It’s just about being honest. It is what it is,” said McCline.

 

I picked Beterbiev via KO but as the fight draws closer I'm leaning towards him getting Smith out of there a round earlier with each passing day. Smith is still a dangerous opponent for a 39 y/o Beterbiev as his power and those sneaky shots ain't no joke

Yes it really is. I'll be gutted if we never see Beterbiev vs Bivol

Those are all great match ups sans AJ vs The Dosser albeit there's still a lot of interest among fans to see it even though The Dosser is irrelevant

I also want to see Crawford vs Super Boots

Teofimo vs Haney

Haney vs Matias and Super Boots

Opetaia vs any of the CW champs