Rubio To Protest Chavez Jr. Fight; No Anti-Doping Tests

By Jake Donovan

Handlers for middleweight contender Marco Antonio Rubio plan to protest Saturday’s title fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in San Antonio

The basis for the protest is no anti-doping testing having taken place, despite language existing both in the fighters’ contracts and in the WBC championship rules.

“We will protest the fight today,” Rubio’s promoter, Oswaldo Kuchle informed krikya360.com early Sunday morning.”The fight was a WBC world title fight, and they didn’t do the urine anti-doping test as the rules state so. We had agreed on the anti-doping.”

Chavez Jr. banged out a hard-fought unanimous decision against Rubio, but the absence of anti-doping tests is just the latest in a string of problems the young Mexican has encountered in events leading up to this fight.

It was previously reported on RingTV.com that Chavez Jr was arrested on January 22 on a DWI charge and temporarily held in LA County Jail. The incident surely factored into his struggling mightily to squeeze down to the middleweight limit, reportedly five pounds heavy the day before the weigh-in.

Chavez Jr. arrived more than 20 minutes late to Friday’s weigh-in and immediately stripped down to his birthday suit when it was his turn at the scale. He made weight (159.5) but rehydrated more than 20 lb. from the weigh-in to fight night.

If the WBC rules are enforced, then it’s entirely possible that his efforts are all for naught. However, the sanctioning body itself can't enforce the rules and normally relies on the local commission to handle matters such as post-fight urinalysis. It becomes an issue when said commission - such as Texas - doesn't require such tests among its list of medical demands.

The key bullet points of the WBC’s anti-doping policy (Rule 4.9 – Antidoping Regulation) are as follows:

a) Doping in Boxers. Boxers contending in any WBC world title bout, elimination bout, or any title bout recognized by the WBC, shall not be under the influence of any drug during the contest that will in any manner affect their performance in the ring.

Should a boxer be taking any form of medication, this must be reported immediately, but no later than the Rules Meeting for the championship bout, to the WBC, the medical panel, the WBC and local supervisors before they get engaged in a title match.

 b) Contractual Obligations. The contracts for championship and elimination bouts certified by the WBC shall include a clause setting forth an agreement by champion and challenger, that neither of them will take, imbibe, or have administered to him any substance, medicine or drug that may enhance or reduce his performance and which are prohibited by the WBC in these Rules and Regulations.

 c) Antidoping Test Required. The anti-doping tests are mandatory for every world title or elimination bout. When a site for a title bout has no anti-doping facilities, a nearby city will be used. The WBC may print a form setting forth the anti-doping tests and procedures and attach it to registered contracts of champions and challengers. An official WBC laboratory may also be established by the WBC. Both champion and challenger shall adhere to these procedures and policies, and mandatory drug testing will be performed pursuant to the WBC Rules and Regulations herein.

d) Doctors. The local commission will specifically appoint a doctor to supervise and administer the anti-doping test. Where there is no local laboratory available, or when necessary, the WBC will order a neutral doctor to supervise the anti-doping tests and take all necessary samples.

The WBC has the right to select primary laboratories around the world for the anti-doping program and conduct of the testing under approved protocols.

e) Procedures for Administration of Antidoping Tests. Each local commission will determine the mechanics for implementation of anti-doping tests, but the following measures are required:

The anti-doping tests shall be taken from the urine of the contending boxers immediately after the bout, at the dressing room or place designated by the doctor. The WBC may authorize the samples to be taken before the bouts only in places where a law or a rule so requires.

The urine of each boxer shall be placed in two (2) separate bottles perfectly clean and sterilized, marked 'A' and 'B' or '1' and '2', before the boxer and his representative, the doctor in charge and/or any neutral doctor that may be chosen by the WBC. All bottles shall be sealed.

All sealed bottles shall have the signatures of the boxer and his representative, if he wishes, the doctor, the local or WBC commissioner affixed to them.

Before each WBC title or elimination bout, the local commission shall inform each boxer that the testing of his urine is mandatory immediately after each bout, and that failure or refusal to submit to such testing may result in disciplinary action, including, without limitation, disqualification, suspension or a fine.

f) Failure to Take Antidoping Tests. If, after being notified by the local commission about the mandatory testing of their urine, a boxer does not submit to such a testing, he will be disqualified, fined or suspended.

Rubio questioned the absence of anti-doping testing at fight’s end, but was unaware that the Texas boxing commission doesn't require such testing and therefore didn't feel obligated to honor the WBC's policy. His handlers weren’t particularly pleased with that response or the one received from the WBC.

“(WBC President) Don Jose Sulaiman at the end of the fight just said we totally forgot,” Kuchle reveals of the post-fight conversation that took place between Rubio’s camp and the sanctioning body.”

Representatives for Chavez Jr, Top Rank and the WBC were unavailable for comment, as most were en route traveling home from San Antonio.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of krikya360.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to