Groupe Yvon Michel’s (GYM) world-ranked boxers have enrolled in the new VADA/WBC Clean Boxing Program (CBP), created by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Adonis Stevenson, Lucian Bute, Eleider Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev will now participate in a serious new protocol in which they may be blood and/or urine tested anytime, 365 days per year. They must be available at all times for an unexpected test.
All of the WBC champions and WBC top 15-ranked fighters have until September 9 to conform to the new protocol or they will be removed from the WBC rankings and suspended from any activity in the WBC.
”This is a step in the right direction but what will really be important in the next few years is for this structure to always keep improving in order to properly regulate professional boxing,” trainer Marc Ramsay said.
”Fortunately, boxing is rarely the target of doping cases, but tightening the rules can only be beneficial to prevent tempted athletes to follow the wrong path,” added GYM vice-president, operations and recruitment, Bernard Barré.
”I am fully in favor of these new measures so all of us in the program will be playing on the same plain field,” remarked Stevenson, the WBC world light heavyweight champion.
“The WBC is proud to see the exemplary dedication of GYM for the welfare of the sport and we are grateful for their support to enroll Champion Adonis Stevenson and all of their WBC top 15-ranked fighters in the WBC – VADA Clean Boxing Program,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman commented. “The CBP is the first ever attempt in our sport to have a safety platform for our athletes and, more importantly, to share the much needed information on PED´s and illegal procedures which could harm our heroes of the ring.”
