Lee trainer demands Chavez drugs check

Legendary trainer Emanuel Steward has demanded that boxing chiefs tackle the growing use of performance enhancing drugs in the sports.

Steward’s comments come in the wake of the defeat of his fighter, Andy Lee, to champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a WBC world title challenge bout at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

Limerick man Lee’s camp yesterday called on Texas state athletic commissioner Dick Cole to clarify if Chavez provided a mandatory urine sample on Saturday and, if so, issue the findings of that test.

Steward said: “Andy Lee is like a son to me, I always look after all my fighters’ health and well-being. I am very concerned about enhanced performance drugs being used by boxers. This is not tennis or golf; boxing is a physical combat sport where if drugs are used by one fighter then this is a disadvantage against the other fighter and causes serious damage to a fighter’s health. Are we going to wait for someone to be killed in the ring before this matter is taken seriously and dealt with?”

Steward will meet US Senator John McCain, instigator of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, next month to discuss the issue.

He added: “I am taking this matter about the fight on Saturday evening very seriously and I am waiting on the Texas Commission to clarify the situation before considering any appropriate action.

“Good people in boxing need to stand up and speak out for what is right and stop these fighters, promoters and commissions doing whatever they like because they have money, power and muscle.

“Drugs and bad judging is killing the sport of boxing in the United States. The fans are turned off; they love the sport but not the business of boxing.”

However, Chavez’s promoter Bob Arum insisted the Mexican did take a drug test prior to the fight, which he won with a seventh-round stoppage.

“This just ludicrous, there was a piss test,” Arum said. “I know this for a fact, I know Julio did the urine test at the arena right before the fight.”