SEEMS The Verve were right. The drugs don’t work. They just make you worse.
American heavyweight Eric Molina, known to UK fans for being thumped to the canvas in round three of a miserable heavyweight title challenge against Anthony Joshua, failed a performance-enhancing drug test for dexamethasone and has been suspended for two years.
The 36-year-old reportedly flunked an in-competition test on December 11, 2016, following his fight with Joshua, and was then charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) pursuant to Article 2.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules – ‘Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample.’
The drug in question, dexamethasone, is a corticosteroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It is used to treat conditions ranging from allergic disorders and skin conditions to ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and breathing disorders.
UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Nicole Sapstead said: “Every athlete is solely responsible for what is in their system and must adhere to the strict liability principle.
“All athletes at any level should familiarise themselves with the WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) Prohibited List and ensure they do not put themselves in a position where they may breach anti-doping regulations.”
The period of ineligibility shall apply from the date of the provisional suspension (October 28, 2017) until midnight on October 27, 2019.
Molina, known as ‘Drummer Boy’, was apparently scheduled to face Mariusz Wach, another heavyweight with a chequered drugs past, in Poland on Friday (May 25), but that will no longer be the case.
