EDDIE HEARN has called for greater transparency in VADA’s testing and reporting procedures after Artur Beterbiev returned atypical findings in blood and urine samples taken on December 6.
Beterbiev, the unified light heavyweight champion, will face Callum Smith in Quebec on Saturday and the pair underwent full VADA testing ahead of the fight.
However, following reports from Kevin Iole on Wednesday night, it was confirmed that the Russian’s tests early last month came back “atypical”, while challenger Smith tested negative for each and every drug he tested. improve performance.
Unlike an “adverse finding,” an atypical one is not considered a contractual violation and is simply a signal to perform additional testing to determine the root cause. Beterbiev’s atypical findings in this case were for human growth hormone and 5D-androstandiol, which occur naturally in the body.
Therefore, Beterbiev was subjected to VADA tests again on December 15 and 21 (urine) and on December 21 and January 3 (blood) and the results were negative.
But Hearn, Smith’s long-term promoter, admitted that receipt of VADA’s initial email confirmation raised “monumental concerns” and called on the testing agency to provide a fuller explanation of the finding.
Hearn told Boxing News: “For once, it’s not my fighter or my show and I’m glad the information has come to light. This information was communicated to us in mid-December.
“It is difficult because it is not our show, our tests or our fighter. Let’s be clear that this is not an adverse finding, but there are elevated levels in a test that we want to know more about.
“In the end, the pressure is to publish that information in the week of the fight. I feel that there needs to be more transparency. It is not our place to reveal that information. We are not scientists, but we read the information and of course it raises concerns.
“But at the same time, contractually, it is not an adverse finding. I would prefer it to be just one or the other: a test is absolutely fine or it is an adverse result. When you read test results that have levels above the testing limit, we want to know more.
“That information has not been communicated as much as we would like from VADA. We want to understand more. Transparency is good, but I’m disappointed it took so long to be published.
“It’s not an adverse finding, but we just want to know why? Why were there elevated levels in that test? I don’t know enough about this. We would appreciate a little more science from the testers to make us feel a little more comfortable.
“There is no accusation against Artur Beterbiev. If VADA deems that it is not an adverse finding, then we move forward. But we want to know more.
“If you say they can occur naturally and there was an increase in those tests, but a week later there was no increase, can that happen? Is that something that happens naturally? It is a very gray and cloudy area.
“I just feel like there needs to be more transparency for people to say ‘this has happened and these are the reasons why.’ Can you imagine when you get that VADA paper and you have a guy fighting that opponent and you read it, as someone who probably doesn’t understand the science, of course your concerns are monumental.
“We just want to be reassured and I don’t feel like we’ve had that.”
Meanwhile, Dr Margaret Goodman, founder and president of VADA, insisted that “no negative inference can be drawn” from the original outlier findings from the December 6 test.
It is understood that “atypical” findings are reasonably common and, since VADA is primarily a testing agency, its role is simply to return test results and not make any determination as to why something is present. Even when VADA returns adverse results, it does not suggest the cause, it only reports the presence.
Dr Goodman told Boxing News: “Atypical findings are quite common in PED testing and do not constitute an adverse test result.
“They can be due to various causes. Atypical findings generally justify collecting more samples. But no negative inference should be drawn from an atypical finding in itself.
“Both Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith are registered with VADA and are subject to ongoing testing.”
In a statement issued by Beterbiev, he said:
“It has come to my attention that Callum intends to spread misleading information about my VADA testing program for this fight.
“Let me be clear now: I am a clean athlete. I have never tested positive for a banned substance throughout my amateur and professional career and complied with all VADA requirements and protocols in preparation for this fight. Any attempt to imply otherwise, through innuendo or suggestion, is libelous and slanderous.
“This conduct goes beyond what is acceptable in combat sports. Callum is already looking for excuses, looking for a way out. See you on saturday.”
Beterbiev and Smith will meet at the Center Videotron in Quebec City on Saturday night in a clash for Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles. He is 19-0 with 19 knockouts.
