“Handful of Stars Will Not Like This”: Soon After WBC President Admits Making Mistake While Announcing Devin Haney’s Doping Test Results, Fans Rally Behind Teofimo Lopez’s Demand of Replacing VADA With USADA

In a recent tweet, Teofimo Lopez expressed his desire to have USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) in professional boxing despite VADA’s presence in the domain. However, the conversation surrounding VADA’s involvement in boxing does not end there! Devin Haney and Regis Prograis will face each other on 9 December at Chase Centre. The fight will be broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view.

As part of the pre-fight rituals, VADA conducted the testing for both fighters. Following the tests, the president of WBC, Mauricio Sulaiman, tweeted the results on X (former Twitter). However, Sulaiman made a major typo, prompting him to admit his mistake to his followers on X. In light of the incident, Lopez wrote, “Man!!! Can we PLEASE have @usantidoping starting 2024 into Professional Boxing?” In an unexpected turn of events, fans came out in droves in support of Lopez’s demand.

Tweet from Teofimo Lopez collects support from fans

Since the tweet went live, it has gathered 47.1K views and a plethora of remarks from the boxing world. While the majority sentient supported Lopez’s claim, some even suggested testing should be mandatory, regardless of the fight’s popularity.

One user questioned what makes USADA better than VADA. It’s worth mentioning that both agencies come under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, unlike USADA, VADA does not follow WADA’s protocols. 

Another user suggested that every pro-fighter should mandatorily go through drug testing. In addition, the user expresses their disbelief that drug testing is not mandatory despite the sport’s long and rich history.

Someone else chimed in, claiming that many fighters won’t see eye-to-eye with Lopez’s enthusiasm for including USADA in the sport of boxing. Here, the user implied that several pro fighters in the boxing world allegedly use banned substances. 

Also Read: WBC President Reveals What Went Wrong for ‘Victim’ Tyson Fury

The next user commented that each and every fight should have drug testing, not just the high-profile title fights. It’s worth mentioning that while drug tests are indeed part of high-profile fights, they are not random. This aspect of the testing process has been heavily criticized by both fans and experts.

One user asserted that Lopez comes with the most random stuff. The user further wrote there are enough tests in boxing already and doesn’t need any more. In addition, they suggested Lopez’s father should get drug tested. 

Drug testing is indeed one of the most important aspects of a boxing match, as it ensures both fighters are on a level playing field. What’s more, the responses from the boxing world indicate VADA is not doing enough to make the fights fair. However, what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think USADA should be in boxing? 

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