Controversy erupted after Luis Nery, fresh off a monumental victory over Shinsuke Yamanaka for the WBC bantamweight title, tested positive for zilpaterol, a cattle steroid. Now, three months after the initial failed test, the sanctioning body has finally released its official ruling, which demands Nery once again face Yamanaka for the title.

The bullet points:

• Nery’s team claims that the failed test is due to the “substantial amounts of beef and beef consommé” that he consumed during training.
• Nery was tested three times in Japan after the failed test, passing each time.
• After consulting with the Health and Sport Ministries of Mexico, the WBC “cannot make a determination with sufficient certainty as to whether Mr. Nery’s adverse finding was the result of intentional ingestion of a banned substance to improve performance.”
• The WBC will oversee Nery’s diet while VADA constructs a random testing protocol, all on Nery’s dime.
• The WBC will make a request to WADA and VADA to “establish specific measures and protocols to address Clembuterol and Zilpaterol.”

Oddly enough, the WBC states that Nery’s B sample was not tested, which is at odds with earlier information.

The “tainted meat” excuse is a familiar one, with both Erik Morales and Francisco Vargas escaping punishment with similar statements. It might also be worth noting that the test was from July 27th, more than two weeks prior to the fight itself, but the results were not revealed until more than a week after the fight took place.

Anyone buying what Nery and Mr. Sulaiman are selling?