It really felt like a final straw as Jaime Munguia’s B-sample returned an adverse finding for exogenous origin of testosterone on Friday. The Mexican, with the help of Canelo Alvarez‘s long-term manager Eddy Reynoso, avenged his loss against Bruno Surace in a one-sided bout.
However, earlier this month, a VADA test flagged Munguia for PEDs. His team quickly appealed, blaming contamination and denying any link to Canelo’s camp. However, the positive B-sample now puts the 28-year-old Tijuana native at risk of BBBofC sanctions, which could nullify his win over Surace. While it might seem like a moment to celebrate, Surace feels bitter, his efforts rendered meaningless.
Not an occasion to celebrate
A few hours after Munguia’s B-sample went public, Surace took to his Instagram and posted a picture of himself from the May 3rd bout with his official statement. “Today I feel the need to speak up about recent revelations regarding Jaime Munguia’s doping,” he wrote.
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The Frenchman acknowledged his admiration for Jaime Munguia and his impact on the sport. “When I gave him this revenge after my win in Tijuana, it wasn’t a simple choice: it was a walk of truth. I just wanted to say I was lucky, it was an accident. I wanted to prove, once and for all, that I earned my place with my fists, my heart, and my work,” he wrote, recalling his last encounter with the Mexican.
The Marseille-born revealed how he poured everything into preparing for the rematch. For him, it was a statement fight against one of the best. However, with the bout now on the verge of being scrapped, his sacrifices feel wasted. “So yeah the fight is cancelled today And even if the truth always comes out, that’s not the outcome I came here for. That’s not why I sacrificed everything. I can’t rejoice in this situation because there’s nothing to celebrate in it,” he wrote, claiming it as a dark day for boxing.
For Surace, integrity in the ring trumps victory or defeat. He awaits the BBBofC’s ruling before planning his next steps, but whatever comes, he’s prepared to face it head-on. While Jaime Munguia’s team has denied any role of Canelo Alvarez‘s trainer Eddy Reynoso in the scandal, former WBC light welterweight champion Tim Bradley thinks otherwise.
Canelo Alvarez’s team under suspicion
In a recent interview on the 3 Knockdown Rule weekly podcast, Bradley went deep on Munguia’s recent controversy. This is not the first time that a fighter from Reynoso’s camp has tested positive for PEDs. Back in 2018, Canelo Álvarez faced a similar incident ahead of his rematch against Gennady Golovkin. Bradley pressed on that information and said, “Listen to me, man. That whole suspicion of the Canelo camp being dirty, I mean, how many more examples do we need?”
Even going back when Canelo tested positive for that clenbuterol, all right. There’s a history coming from this camp,” he added. Even at that time, the Cinnamon’s team attributed the positive test to contamination. A rather common defense in these situations, and Munguia’s team followed suit.
Despite his suspicion, Bradley is not directly blaming Reynoso for these positive tests. After all, every fighter is an adult, capable of making their own decisions. So, the blame should fall on them. However, the fact is that the rules have been broken. Furthermore, under Reynoso’s watch, it has been a repeated occurrence. So, someone has to take accountability. Not to just dismiss the scandal, but for boxing to prosper.
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