Luis Ortiz exemplifies boxing’s extensive doping problem
Luis Ortiz tested positive for banned substances leading up to his planned fight with Deontay Wilder. Ortiz is not the only recent heavyweight to get caught.
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Luis Ortiz was supposed to challenge Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title, but Bermane Stiverne is taking his place as the contender.
Ortiz tested positive for chlorothaizide and hydrochlorothiazide, which are banned diuretics. These drugs are often used as masking agents for steroids. Ortiz’s positive test cost him a shot at the title.
Ortiz and his team claim that the drugs he tested positive for are from his blood pressure medication, losartan. His story is believable. Losartan contains both of the diuretics found in his system, and he does have a prescription for losartan.
The problem is that he didn’t declare losartan on his paperwork to VADA (Voluntary Anti-doping Association), which is the organization responsible for monitoring WBC fighters for banned substances.
This could be a silly clerical mistake on Ortiz and his team’s behalf, but he violated the rules by not following through with the required testing protocols. Ortiz should blame himself and his team if they did accidentally fail to disclose this information.
This is not Luis Ortiz’s first positive test for a banned substance. In 2014 he tested positive for a PED after his bout with Lateef Kayode. This hurts his credibility and casts doubt on his current claim of innocence.
Fans are frustrated they will not see Deontay Wilder face the toughest test of his career. Ortiz is an elite heavyweight and Stiverne is a big drop in competition for Wilder. Fans are taking their anger out on Wilder and the WBC on social media, but they should be angry at Ortiz and boxers like him who violate the ethics of the sport. Doping is a major problem boxing and fans need to recognize that.
Boxing’s heavyweight division is plagued with doping violations. In the last year and a half, three of Wilder’s scheduled opponents have tested positive for banned substances. In May of 2016, Wilder was supposed to defend his title in Russia against Alexander Povetkin. Several weeks before the fight, Povetkin tested positive for meldonium, which is a synthetic energy booster.
Wilder was slated to meet Andrzej Wawrzyk in February, but Wawrzyk tested positive for PEDs. Ortiz is just the latest Wilder opponent to get in trouble for banned substances, and now, Wilder is forced to fight a last-second substitute for the third consecutive time. Wilder’s difficulties with opponents illustrate the prevalence of doping in boxing’s heavyweight division.
Boxers in other divisions have recently failed drug tests too, but the heavyweight division has an especially high concentration of fighters testing positive for banned substances.
Wilder’s new opponent, Bermane Stiverne, tested positive for methylhexanamine and ostarine in 2016. Lucas Browne, who is rated 13 by the WBC, tested positive for clenbuterol that same year. Shannon Briggs tested positive for elevated testosterone in May.
Next: Remembering Jake LaMotta, the 'Bronx Bull'
In the last two years, seven top-ranked heavyweights tested positive for banned substances. Not all of these positive tests were for PEDs, but the majority were for PEDs or masking agents.
Doping in boxing is starting to gain attention, but has been around for a long time. VADA is at the forefront of exposing cheats in the sport of boxing. As their testing becomes more advanced and rigorous, more boxers will test positive for banned substances.
Heavyweights are the prime offenders because added punching power is key to knocking out bigger men. The heavyweight division used to be the most popular in boxing because knockouts were at a premium. Heavyweights can stack on muscle without worrying about their weight. It is the one division where boxers don’t have to cut to make weight.
Doping is a serious problem in boxing. It’s unfortunate that this issue isn’t receiving more attention.