By: Sean Crose
Fresh off an impressive win over Bruno Surace earlier this month, Jaime Munguia tested positive for having a banned substance in his system. According to ESPN, VADA found exogenous testosterone metabolites in Munguia’s A-Sample. Munguia reportedly has ten days to put in a request for his B-Sample to be reviewed. Although A and B samples are rarely anything other than a match, it’s not entirely impossible that the A-Sample finding in this case was the result of a screwup. Still, as things stand this isn’t a good look for the former world titlist. Should both samples match, Munguia may have his win over Surace taken away. He may also face a suspension and fine.
Speaking to The Ring, Surace made it clear on Thursday that he wants his loss to Munguia earlier this month to be scratched from the record. “I’m shocked by the news that Jaime Munguia tested positive for a banned substance,” the 26 year old said. “There’s no place in boxing for cheating; the sport is dangerous enough already…I went to Mexico and knocked out Munguia fair and square in December and I was gracious enough to give him a rematch in May. He knew he could not beat me on a level playing field. I trust that this result will be overturned immediately.”
Munguia has earned a reputation over the years as being a hard hitting and fun fighter to watch. Although not extraordinarily skilled, the man none the lest earned himself a spot as a world titlist for a time and has even challenged the one and only Canelo Alvarez. Surace stunned him last December, however, finishing Munguia in six in Mexico. Munguia’s comeback, while sweet, might be short lived as a result of the VADA testing results. As of press time, neither he nor his team have officially responded to news of the VADA test.
It’s never a good thing to see a popular and successful fighter hit the mat reputationally due to a positive drug test. Whether it’s by accident or through ignorance or something more nefarious, it’s always a shame to see someone crash and burn. Not that it’s the end all be all when a fighter gets popped for having a banned substance in his or her system. Fighters who have “failed” drug tests have moved on and built their reputations back by fighting clean afterward. If Munguia was fighting – willfully or not – with the help of a banned substance, and here’s hoping he wasn’t, he owes it to the fans and to himself to come back clean, provided he still wants to box.
