CHAVEZ UP TO HIS EARS IN TURMOIL

by Pedro Fernandez

When the story broke here on Friday that Julio Cesar Chavez had refused to take a post fight urinalysis Thursday evening, I could not get either a confirmation or denial from any of the principles involved.

By Friday afternoon, Julio was in jail in Mexico on tax charges. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and company were somewhere in between Connecticut and their base in Las Vegas, and the Mashantucket Indian's were not available for comment either.

The Mashantucket tribe are the operators of Foxwoods Resort, the site of Thursday night's pay per view card that was topped by Lou Savarese's first round KO of former heavyweight champ Buster Douglas. Chavez appeared on the undercard and stopped Ken Sigurani.

On Monday, Roy Butler, VP of Tribal Gaming Commission would neither confirm or deny whether Chavez refused to take a post fight drug test. When I pressed Mr. Butler, he kindly issued a "no comment" and referred the matter to the public relations staff at Foxwoods. They were unavailable for comment.

The way the situation was laid out to me was that Chavez flat out refused to take the post fight urinalysis after beating Sigurani, and that he stormed from the dressing room to his hotel room.

Top Rank Bob Arum put a different spin on the matter. He said that Julio did leave the dressing room area without taking the post fight urinalysis. But that he went straight to his hotel room in order to get his cut eye stitched up. Arum claims that the commission got on the phone and that Chavez said he was more than willing to take the anti-doping test in his room.

The Mashantucket Boxing Commission wouldn't oblige. It turns out they don't follow fighters to their hotel rooms for mandatory Drug testing. A commission meeting was set for the following morning with the Chavez test tabled first.

According to Arum, the commission did meet and discussed the matter. The results were that the Foxwoods folks did suspend Julio Cesar Chavez, but it was for 45 days due to his being cut. And not for failing to submit a urine sample post fight. My source went on to say that according to Arum, the issue is now a non issue. Hmmm.

So, with nobody returning phonecalls, that's the best I can give you.

I can tell you this. Chavez was out of Foxwoods before the meeting even took place Friday morning. At 35,000 feet, Julio was unavailable for any testing had they mandated one.

This is an interesting story that I think has not been fully played out yet. If a post fight urinalysis was mandatory and Julio refused to take it, what kind of example is the Mashantucket tribe trying to set in regards to drugs and testing?

Wasn't it Foxwoods who brought down Pernell Whitaker? The tribe may have bowed to pressure in that one too. After his fight late last year against Russian Andrei Pestraiev, Sweet Pea tested positive for Colombian Dust (Cocaine).

Whitaker's lawyer brought forth an OJ Simpson like defense, and he attacked the testing procedure enough to get them to give Pernell a pass on that one. Whitaker was then caught when after agreeing to random testing, he failed the very first one he took in March.

Julio's headaches were not only in Connecticut. After being "beamed" back to Mexico in Star Trek like fashion, Chavez was arrested for tax crimes. Released a short time later, JC has an upcoming court date.

Sources say Arum is going ahead with a scheduled "Press Tour" for late July and early August where Chavez and De La Hoya will jet around the U.S. in separate jets promoting the September 18, PPV card.

Hopefully on Tuesday, the Mashantucket P.R. people will give us their side of the story.

Pedro Fernandez

The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com and can be reached at flash@inow.com

Note: Join Pedro Fernandez, "the undisputed heavyweight champion of the radio airwaves" as he defends his title of nearly 13 years on Ring Talk this Saturday at 11:06 PM ET on the Talk America Radio Network.

Pedro's guests for Saturday were not confirmed as of press time. Catch "Ring Talk" the "insider's look into the world of boxing" this Saturday @ 11:06 PM ET for two hours on the Talk America Radio Network with LIVE Internet audio at www.talkamerica.com

Sunday at 11:06 PM ET on the Talk America 2 Network aka "The Deuce" Ring Talk airs for an hour. Guests will include future Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson and AMERICA PRESENTS CEO Mat Tinley.


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