Would it have been ethical for Ken Norton to use PEDs?

It wouldn’t have been cheating at the time.

 

Anyone know, If he had admitted to using before fights would his license of been pulled at the time?

 

Steroids weren't illegal until 1991. There was no drug testing in boxing during Norton's time. Using PEDs would have been a huge advantage to any athlete, especially if he was competing against "drug free" athletes. Maybe that's why there were dominant fighters that seemed much better than their competition?

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/steroids/public/
Laws and penalties for anabolic steroid abuse
The Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990 placed anabolic steroids into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as of February 27, 1991. Under this legislation, anabolic steroids are defined as any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, and corticosteroids) that promotes muscle growth.

The possession or sale of anabolic steroids without a valid prescription is illegal. Simple possession of illicitly obtained anabolic steroids carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine if this is an individual's first drug offense. The maximum penalty for trafficking is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if this is the individual's first felony drug offense. If this is the second felony drug offense, the maximum period of imprisonment and the maximum fine both double. While the above listed penalties are for federal offenses, individual states have also implemented fines and penalties for illegal use of anabolic steroids.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and many professional sports leagues (e.g. Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League) have banned the use of steroids by athletes, both because of their potential dangerous side effects and because they give the user an unfair advantage. The IOC, NCAA, and NFL have also banned the use of steroid precursors (e.g. androstenedione) by athletes for the same reason steroids were banned. The IOC and professional sports leagues use urine testing to detect steroid use both in and out of competition.

 

No?

Performance Enhancing Drugs aren't inherently unethical IMO; especially for personal use where the goal is simply aesthetics; if I'm honest, multiple figures in my family have been on things for as long as I can remember. Using them in competition is obviously starting to get unethical, in the sense that it's a form of cheating. Now, if I'm again, completely honest, I don't think taking drugs to boost performance in a Triathlon, or a Tennis match (even at world level) is majorly unethical. Sure, if there's a prize on the line which depends on winning, it strays further into the unethical category. However, in COMBAT sports, it's borderline unforgivable IMO. It's literally taking enhancements to hurt people. To knock them out, and let's face it, boxing is already dangerous enough.

So if Ken was on them, it'd still be extremely immoral. Even if it wasn't legal.

 

Meh, if it's not banned, then it's legal. The other guys could have used them too.

Coffee gives you a training boost. Are the guys knocking back the espresso cheating?

What if coffee / caffeine is banned in 2023?

Are the people that used coffee cheaters and immoral?

No.

 

No. I don't think it's unethical to take anything that's legal.

 

No it's not unethical . Taking PEDs is not unethical unless it's against the agreed rules


Punching someone repeatedly in the head might be unethical though. Regardless of whether it's done under the label "sport".

 

There's no strong reason to suspect Norton was on steroids more than any other heavyweight of the era.

It's always the guys with aesthetic attractive physiques who get fingers pointed at them, regardless of their actual size. Norton never had unnatural looking level of muscle mass, he just had a sexy body which brings out confusion and jealousy in other guys. Especially ones who went to the gym for ten whole weeks and ate chicken breasts and protein powders and creatine powder and looked in the mirror and didn't see Nortonesque results.

 

Kenny was simply a born athlete. Always tall and muscular for his age, beloved and desired by trainers in every discipline he approached.

As for PED: it wouldn't be illegal. Ethical aspect is each to his own.

 

What evidence is there of him being on steroids? Simply because he had an aesthetic physique?

 

I disagree on most of these points.

I do not believe it would have been wrong for Norton to use PEDs when completely legal & not prohibited by the sport or government.
Fighters are alreay trying to hurt people, it is a matter of degrees, Norton would not know how effective it would be or at all...
Although the spoort we love likely should be modified so people do not suffer lifteime injuries, especially to their brains.

I am very against PEDs, but the only unethical thing for your family members/recreational use is breaking the law.
However people are delusional that they know how much they can take in what combination to prevent damage.
They can only make it less likely...But it is essentially *not* you when use chemicals, especially in massive quantities compared to say natural testosterone, to aritifcially enhance your body, performance, & boost your genetic potential.
Fuhgettibout little problems like whether you shrink your balls, if they rebound later (estrogen blockers are commonly used after courses since of the grotequerie of your own testiicles shutting down production due to dependence on a large exogenous source).

It is very immoral to take illegal PEDs & steal success, wins, money, grloy from others who follow the rules.
How common it is does not mitigate it being wrong-just provide context for the temptation-any more than if you grow up with muggers making it OK to rob innocent people.\

EDIT: I agree there is zero reason to suspect Ken Norton of taking any PEDs.
No evidence. No suspicious factors re: health, acne, sudden large muscle gain when already strong....

And the muscular size he reached for someone of his height & frame & I am sure good hormonal factors is certainly achievable naturally.

 

Was it ethical for Jim Jeffries to take cocaine?

I guess so, given that nobody objected!

 

If you're punching the **** out of somebody while you're on something and they're not, that's unethical no matter the legal system at the time. The fact they were banned later shows people knew they were obviously both effective and dangerous. It's no longer a case of the better man wins, it's a case of the man on PEDs wins and this isn't losing a game, or losing out on money. This is where a fight can literally result in death.

I know all about anabolics and their effects in building muscle and helping change of body composition. And I know how dangerous they can be, my own father went over the top often when I was younger. He absolutely regrets it now and still bears a lot of the side effects. But his goal was never to cheat anybody, never to negatively impact others, it was just to lose weight and build muscle at the same time. When it didn't work like that, his answer was more testosterone, and then other things. He eventually learnt more about why things weren't working how he wanted and started to change how much he took and thankfully changed what he was doing before things got REALLY serious, but he still experienced negatives like dangerously high blood pressure; . That said, even having seen all this first hand, I don't think being misguided, or not knowing what you're doing is unethical. In this case, the thing which determines whether PEDs are unethical is the goal and what that pertains.

I don't think you've understood. I do agree it's unethical to take steroids in competition, as I said. I just don't think it's extremely unethical, or a terrible thing to do. Ultimately, the only person at a serious, physical detriment is the person taking them. That isn't the case in combat sports, which is why it's much more immoral there.