Jaime Munguia took the next and perhaps decisive step in defending his reputation on Tuesday, personally witnessing the unsealing of his VADA “B” sample at the SMRTL laboratory in Salt Lake City. The super-middleweight contender insists the positive result for exogenous testosterone that followed his May 4 rematch win over Bruno Surace was an anomaly, not evidence of deliberate doping. “We hope this provides clarity,” promoter Fernando Beltrán posted from the lab, flanked by a somber-looking Munguía.
The 28-year-old ex-WBO junior-middleweight champion had never failed a drug test in more than 100 checks until VADA’s May 29 notification. Under protocol, Munguía had ten days to request the secondary analysis; he acted immediately, determined to show that contamination or human error was to blame. Team Munguía stresses that longtime nutritionist Marco Antonio Pérez has “never been connected to a situation of this nature” and is cooperating fully.
Watch Munguia vs. Surace 2 highlights: Watch
Drama caps a turbulent stretch for a fighter once 44-0. Munguia was stunned by Surace last December, rebounded under new trainer Eddy Reynoso with a one-sided decision in Riyadh, then saw that redemption clouded by the test result. A second strike by the B-sample would likely convert the victory to a no-contest and send Munguía before a commission hearing, with penalties ranging from fines to suspension.
Yet the Mexican remains defiant. Citing previous cases where athletes proved inadvertent ingestion, his camp believes a thorough review will exonerate him. “The responsibility ultimately lies with Jaime and our team,” their statement read, “and we are actively reviewing every detail to find the source.”
Learn more about Jaime's career.
Image Credit: Top Rank