Antonio Tarver Tests Positive for Steroids

by Johnny Walker

IBO cruiserweight champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver is the latest boxer to have tested positive for a banned substance.

Testing results from Tarver’s June 2 split decision draw with Lateef Kayode showed that the Magic Man tested positive for drostanolone, an anabolic steroid.

So far, Tarver, who is slated to resume his analytic duties for the Showtime network on Saturday’s Victor Ortiz versus Josesito Lopez fight broadcast, has not reacted publicly to the test results. Showtime likewise has yet to issue a comment on the test results.

On Tarver’s Twitter account and Facebook page, he recently announced that he has been chosen to be the boxing analyst for the 2012 Olympics. How the drug test news might impact Tarver’s Olympic announcing status–with performance enhancing drugs being such a sensitive Olympics topic–also remains to be seen.

Earlier this week, British heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo was sentenced to a four-year suspension from boxing after admitting to using 13 banned substances, including EPO, human growth hormone and anabolic steroids, over a six-year period.

Olubamiwo later said that doping is widespread throughout boxing.

“Although I will not mention any names the majority of the boxers you all love so dear are on the stuff,” he said, “and this is from me talking to them, seeing them buy the stuff or talking to their training personnel.”

“Cheating is when you are the only person doing something and since I know that I wasn’t the only person doing it, it can’t be defined as cheating.”