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Boxing News Headlines for May 22 - 2013

LUIS CORTES

ALEC KOHUT

MARTY MULCAHEY

ALLAN SCOTTO

STEPHEN TOBEY

GERMAN VILLASENOR

ANSON WAINWRIGHT

MATTHEW PARAS

DANIEL KRAVETZ

JASON GONZALEZ

Chavez Jr. Tests Positive for Marijuana

By Steve Kim

A rumor circulating around boxing circles on Monday was confirmed on Tuesday. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who lost his WBC middleweight crown to Sergio Martinez Saturday night in Las Vegas, has tested positive for marijuana.

Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the NSAC, declined to comment till all the tests from this past weekend (which was unusually busy in his jurisdiction) came in. Earlier in the day as Top Rank was informed of Chavez’s plight, they issued this statement to the media: “Top Rank is reviewing the situation. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will have the opportunity to explain the situation to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”

But later, it looked as if Bob Arum would be fighting hard on behalf of his client, telling the L.A. Times’ Lance Pugmire, among other things, that marijuana isn’t a performance enhancing drug and should be legalized (http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-chavez-marijuana-20120919,0,3307897.story).

It’s been a checkered past in this regard for the son of the Mexican icon. He tested positive for banned diuretic after his 2009 bout versus Troy Rowland and earlier this year, he was arrested for a DUI just weeks before his fight in San Antonio against Marco Antonio Rubio (http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/173245-chavez-jrstrikes-plea-deal-in-drunk-driving-case).

In terms of what penalties Chavez fight face, any violation can lead to a fine (up to 100% of purse) and/or suspension (up to 12 months)/revocation, under the rules of the NSAC.

Steve can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com and he tweets at www.twitter.com/stevemaxboxing. We also have a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing, where you can discuss our content with Maxboxing readers as well as chime in via our fully interactive article comments sections.

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