Tim Bradley training in Indio, Calif. ahead of his bout with Juan Manuel Marquez (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)
By Chris Robinson
In a BoxingScene.com article from Bill Emes on Wednesday, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum insisted that the drug-testing issues surrounding the Oct. 12 welterweight title bout between WBO champion Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez have been resolved.
Bradley has been claiming that either VADA or USADA needed to be involved for the fight to push forward, and later threatened to pull out of the contest if that wasn’t the case.
Word spread that Arum was looking at bringing in a third party to handle the testing, along with the cooperation of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and confusion ensued.
Speaking with Emes, Arum claimed the matter had been sorted out.
“Everything is fine,” said Arum. “The Nevada Commission is running the tests. They are taking extensive tests. They started it [on Tuesday]. Everything is in order. The tests will be just as or even more extensive than USADA or VADA. You have to understand that these are the same tests. These organizations may evaluate them differently but the tests are the tests.”
A quick stop by Bradley’s training base in Indio, Calif., where he has begun ardently prepping for Marquez, shed light into how the defending champion is dealing with all of the drama.
If anything, Bradley appears to be a little distressed by the situation.
“First and foremost, before the fight was even announced or even thought about, before I even discussed money with these guys, I said Marquez had to do the VADA testing,” Bradley recalled. “They came back to me and said he agreed to it, he’ll do it. But he wants to do USADA. And I’m like ‘Why not VADA?’ I never really got an explanation.
“I guess Bob wanted to get a third party, VADA or the State Athletic Commission to get involved in testing us and they hired some agency,” Bradley continued. “I have very little detail about that. I just think it’s a joke honestly.”
Bradley claims that he will work closely with the NSAC to ensure that all protocols are followed from his end and pointed out that he is still going to do VADA testing as well.
“I chose to do whatever the commission wanted to do, because I wanted to be licensed to fight in Vegas and if I didn’t abide by their rules then I wouldn’t get licensed in Vegas to fight,” said Bradley. “I’m doing VADA because I want to show everybody I’m a clean athlete. I train extremely hard and I’m dedicated to my craft. I’m a hard worker and nothing beats hard work. I’m doing VADA testing, not for anybody’s sake but mine.”
Bradley finished the conversation by urging the public to make its own opinion on how everything has played out.
“Whether or not Marquez wants to do it or not, I think that him not wanting to take the test, I think the writing is one the wall,” said Bradley. “Everybody can think whatever they want to think. I think a certain way. Of course, I can’t really say much.
“But, you guys be the judge,” Bradley stated. “The people, the fans, everybody can be the judge. Like I said, I’m a man of my word and that’s why I’m doing VADA testing, because it’s in my contract and I’m doing the Nevada State Athletic Commission, I’m doing that testing too.”
PLEASE CHECK OUT the full interview with Bradley below and other exclusives from Chris Robinson
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Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com