Munguia tests positive for banned substance in Surace rematch
Super middleweight contender's urine sample returns adverse finding
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Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia has tested positive for exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites — meaning testosterone that was from a source outside of his body, which is banned — in a urine sample given to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association following a unanimous decision over Bruno Surace in their rematch on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The result came to light on Thursday and was first reported by Ring magazine, confirmed to Fight Freaks Unite by a source with knowledge of the letter VADA sent to the relevant parties and later disclosed by Munguia amidst the reports.
Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs), 28, of Mexico, who is a former WBO junior middleweight titleholder, denied knowingly taking a banned substance.
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“Throughout my boxing career, I have undergone numerous anti-doping tests and have never tested positive,” Munguia said in a statement. “I was tested twice during this training camp, and both results came back negative, which is why receiving this notification of an adverse finding has been a complete surprise to me. Several experts have explained that there are multiple ways contamination can occur.”
Noted drug testing expert Victor Conte told Fight Freaks Unite that the notion that Munguia’s positive test was a result of contamination was ridiculous.
“It’s a desperate and not believable excuse in my opinion,” Conte said. “I have never heard of testosterone contamination before.”
Munguia has 10 days to request that his B sample be tested at his own expense, which he said he planned to do. If that half of the sample comes back positive as well — and virtually every B sample tested returns the same result of the A sample — Munguia faces a suspension and his victory likely would be changed to a no contest.
“I am fully willing to undergo any retroactive, current, or future testing to demonstrate that I have always been a clean athlete,” Munguia said. “I will not make any further comments on this matter until the process is concluded with the results of the B sample.”
Munguia, in his first fight with trainer Eddy Reynoso, outpointed Surace 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 on the Canelo Alvarez-William Scull undercard.
The fight was an immediate rematch from Dec. 14, when Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs), 26, an obscure fighter from France, who had faced nothing but low-level opposition, was the hand-picked opponent for a hometown fight for Munguia in Tijuana, Mexico, and ruined the homecoming.
Surace had been knocked down in the second round and was being utterly dominated before landing a clean right hand on the chin that knocked out the 50-1 favorite Munguia in the sixth round for the consensus 2024 upset of the year, after which Munguia invoked his contractual right to an immediate rematch.
Surace told Ring magazine, which is owned by Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian official and Ring owner, who also put on the May 3 card, “I’m shocked by the news that Jaime Munguia tested positive for a banned substance. There’s no place in boxing for cheating. The sport is dangerous enough already.
“I went to Mexico and knocked out Munguia fair and square in December and I was gracious enough to give him a rematch in May. He knew he could not beat me on a level playing field. I trust that this result will be overturned immediately.”
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Munguia photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions
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There are too many drug cheats in boxing
Reynoso did Teofimo Lopez a favor. Stay away from those clowns Teo.