David Benavidez tests positive for banned substance

Boxingnews24.com

By Jim Dower: WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance benzoylecgonin, which an ingredient in the illegal drug cocaine. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman broke the news about Benavidez’s positive test on Tuesday.

The positive test came from a urine sample collected on August 27 according to ESPN. Benavidez has the option of having his B-sample tested.

Benavidez (20-0, 17 KOs) is expected to defend his WBC 168 pound title against Anthony Dirrell later his year. There still isn’t a date for the Benavidez-Dirrell fight, but now the fight is in serious jeopardy.

The 21-year-old Benavidez tested positive during a random check by VADA, he Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. This is a drug test as part of Benavidez being signed with the World Boxing Council’s Clean Boxing Program. It’s unclear whether Benavidez ate a contaminated food or if there was a foul up with the testing. Benavidez hasn’t said anything about the test.

“The WBC has received confirmation from VADA of an adverse finding of David Benavidez. Protocol to immediately begin,” World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman said on his Twitter earlier Tuesday.

The positive test by Benavidez is going to lead to a lot of boxing fans comparing what happens with his case to that of the highly popular Saul Canelo Alvarez, who blamed his two positive tests for the performance enhancing substance clenbuterol on having ingested tainted beef while in Mexico. Canelo ended up receiving a six month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. However, many fans believe Canelo to be innocent of having purposefully used clenbuterol.

Benavidez won the vacant WBC super middleweight title last September in beating Ronald Gavril by a 12 round split decision. Benavidez barely won the fight. In the rematch, Benavidez beat Gavril by a one-sided 12 round decision. However, Benavidez still hasn’t faced the better fighters in the 168 pound division. Dirrell would be a major step up in class for Benavidez when/if that fight takes place.

Teddy Atlas to train Oleksandr Gvozdyk

ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas has agreed to train interim WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdy to help him get ready for his title shot against WBC light 175 pound champ Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson on December 1 at the Centre Videotron, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Gvozdyk, 31, needs all the help he can get to prepare for this major step up in class against the 40-year-old Stevenson. Although Stevenson is coming off of a less than spectacular performance in his 12 round draw against Badou Jack last May, he still is a major step up in class for Gvozdyk.

The former Ukrainian amateur star Gvozdyk is switching out his lead trainer Marco Contreras in place of 62-year-old Atlas.

“Oleksandr was looking to step up and be trained by Teddy,” Gvozdyk’s manager Egis Klimas said to ESPN.com.

Atlas is a good trainer, but he’s not a miracle worker. If Gvozdyk lacks the physical talent to beat Stevenson, then there’s not much he’ll be able to do no matter what great ideas Atlas has for him to try and win this fight. It’s going to tough on Gvozdyk right off the bat to deal with Stevenson’s experience. But the power and the southpaw stance of Stevenson could prove to be too much for Gvozdyk. In Gvozdyk’s last fight, he was rocked by a big right hand from Mehdi Amar in the 11th round last March. Gvozdyk was able to make it through the round, but he looked ready to be knocked out.