This Saturday in Quebec City, the light heavyweight crown is up for grabs, and it’s shaping up to be a real barn burner. Artur Beterbiev, the reigning king of the IBF-WBC-WBO, is set to duke it out with Callum Smith. There was a bit of a kerfuffle when Beterbiev’s Dec. 6 cocktail of blood and urine raised some eyebrows. The result? A head-scratching ‘atypical’ stamp, according to Kevin Iole. Meanwhile, Smith’s tests were as clean as a whistle, not a hint of any performance boosters.
But don’t jump to conclusions! An ‘atypical’ tag isn’t a red card in this game. It’s more like the ref asking for a video review. So, Beterbiev went back to the lab, rolling up his sleeves for VADA’s sleuths. They poked and prodded with more tests – urine on Dec. 15 and 21, blood on those same dates, plus a New Year’s present on Jan 3. It’s like they were brewing a peculiar tea, isn’t it?
The plot thickens with Beterbiev’s initial atypical readings for human growth hormone (HGH) and the tongue-twister 5D-androstanediol. These are the body’s own brew, but sometimes they party a bit too hard. An ‘atypical’ means it’s time to figure out if the body’s just naturally an overachiever in producing these substances, or if there’s some naughty doping afoot.
Drumroll, please… The results are in! And they’re as clean as a sanitized gym mat for Beterbiev. The Quebec Boxing Commission, the bigwigs at IBF, WBC, and WBO, promoters Top Rank and Matchroom Sport, and the cornermen all got the memo. Beterbiev’s in the clear, folks. He’s lacing up to defend his glittering trinkets this Saturday in Quebec City. Ding, ding, ding! Let the fights begin!
For more ringside insights and the latest boxing scoops, check out Kevin Iole’s detailed report at Kevin Iole’s Boxing Coverage.
