Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn just recently gave his take on the recent news of Subriel Matias flunking a drug test for ostarine and the implications it might have for the title Matias holds. Hearn says he must imagine that Matias will receive a suspension and believes the WBC title he holds should become vacant, and believes Dalton Smith is still entitled to get his shot at that belt.
“So we know that Subriel Matias fought Puello, it was a very close fight, and after Puello canvassed to the WBC for the rematch,” Hearn said. “Because Dalton [Smith] had been waiting a long time [Mauricio Suliaman] said ‘No, Matias has to fight Dalton but Puello will fight the winner, he’ll be mandatory.’ I know that Puello’s team now will be pushing to fight Dalton for the vacant title.
“We don’t really care who we fight, we just want to fight and we want that opportunity for Dalton Smith. So I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a New York State Athletic Commission fight so they will deal with the incident and they’re very strict. So it’s almost certain he’s going to receive a ban, but he needs to deal with that ban, fight that ban, and even if he’s in recess or whatever it is, for me that title has to become vacant and Dalton Smith must get his shot. But that’ll be everybody’s job over the next couple of days and weeks to decide what we’re going to do.
“We pushed the WBC to ensure there was VADA testing for this fight and we pushed Matias’ camp to ensure there was testing. And there didn’t have to be testing. There would’ve been under the WBC clean program but this was additional testing and I’m sad this fight is not going to happen but I’m very glad at the same time that someone with that in his system didn’t get the opportunity to fight Dalton Smith because Matias is a dangerous fight.”
Hearn would then be asked about how rampant of a problem he sees PEDs in the sport of boxing.
“Yes, I think there’s a rampant problem with PEDs in every sport that has physical fundamentals to it and there’s a lot of money in it, because some people will always look for an edge and some people will always try to cheat the game. And the reality is, I think the bigger issue in boxing is not just the top level, it’s the lower level…The issue with UKAD is, and this is a cost thing, you have fighters who have license with the British Boxing Board of Control that have never been tested.
“Now AJ…he’s the most tested athlete out there but some guy that’s fighting for the British title or some guy who’s in an eight-rounder, they’ve never had a drug test. So I think what you’ve got to be careful of is that level the chances of getting caught are actually minimal. When you’re a championship fighter in big fights and your signing up for VADA 12 weeks out, it’s very difficult to go through the cycles and all of that — I’m sure there’s experts and there’s ways to try to cheat the system but it’s very difficult to do.
“So do I think there is a PED problem — I don’t want to say it’s a problem but it exists. I mean, and therefore if it exists then it is a problem but I think that’s all sports.”
