Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence VADA testing enrollment row escalates

[Enlightened-One]

"Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence VADA testing enrollment row escalates"

As WBN reported yesterday, Pacquiao’s advisor and MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons denied an accusation by Victor Conte that the Filipino Senator had failed to secure his enrollment in the VADA program for an August 21 battle with Spence.

A controversial figure himself when it comes to Performance Enhancing Drugs, Conte went public with his belief that the “Pacman” didn’t sign up.

Despite pound-for-pound star Spence informing his fans in a podcast interview that they were enrolled, Conte reiterated claims that both men had not used the testing organization for their match-up.

Gibbons added further to his already volatile response when stating Conte’s words were not true.

Most of what Gibbons said is unrepeatable, but this could be salvaged: “My Friend, both are enrolled in VADA. SNAC on my NUTS!

“Scum of the earth for spreading false rumors. The World will be a better place [the rest of the sentence not worth repeating].”

Not one to shy away from conversations, no matter how awkward, Conte fired back by outling why he believes Pacquiao and Spence failed to sign up to VADA.

“It would be terrific for boxing if what you claim is, in fact, true,” he told Gibbons. “Props to both Manny and Spence if they have, in fact, recently enrolled in VADA.

“Clean boxing is important, with bodily harm being the objective of the sport.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Gibbons has resorted to name-calling. Boxing deserves to know the truth.

“Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. are NOT enrolled in VADA.

“Manny and [Keith] Thurman did not do VADA either [for their July 2019 bout].

“All boxers that enroll in VADA are identified with a welcome tweet. No such tweet exists,” stated Conte.

The word of Spence and Gibbons is certainly not deterring Conte from spreading his thoughts on the matter. The SNAC boss is certainly not backing down.

Soon, Pacquiao vs. Spence will need further confirmation to put any doubts to bed completely.

World Boxing News has reached out to VADA to get clarification on Pacquiao vs. Spence.

Thoughts?

[Enlightened-One]

Four thoughts:

• Every time Pacquiao fights, there’s usually some sort of controversy surrounding VADA or the lack of testing

• There’s no official confirmation of Manny and Errol’s enrolment on VADA’s official website nor their Twitter feed

• We’ve previously had situations whereby Manny’s opponents have confirmed their enrolment in VADA testing (i.e. Bradley & Thurman), but Pacquiao himself either didn’t get tested at all or didn’t undergo proper testing during the entirety of his training camp

• I’m not sure that Victor Conte should cite the lack of VADA tweets as proof of Pacquiao and Spence Jr. not being tested, but then again, he was an advisor that helped create VADA (so perhaps he has insider knowledge, hence his refusal to withdraw his claims)?

[oogiebe]

Honestly, I just can't help but feel that this is going to end poorly for Pac. I think this will be the end of the road for him.

[Enlightened-One]

Honestly, I just can't help but feel that this is going to end poorly for Pac. I think this will be the end of the road for him.

If Manny isn't being tested, consumes some dodgy concoctions and enters the ring looking like this, then he'll do fairly well against Spence Jr.

[oogiebe]

Honestly, I just can't help but feel that this is going to end poorly for Pac. I think this will be the end of the road for him.

If Manny isn't being tested, consumes some dodgy concoctions and enters the ring looking like this, then he'll do fairly well against Spence Jr.

LMFAO!

[Boxing Prospect]

Conte shouldn't be involved in sport, full stop. The damage he did will never be undone. And we'll never know the full depth of what he and BALCO did. fornicating disgrace how he's not been kicked in to the kerb like the piece of crap he is.

[ironbeard]

Is Conte on VADA’s payroll?

[KiwiRider]

Is Conte on VADA’s payroll?

I thought he was pretty much ostracised from anything credible.
Wiki says:
Technically speaking, BALCO is extinct, but Victor Conte is a free man and still running a business called "Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning" or "SNAC." After serving a four-month prison sentence prior to pleading guilty in 2005, he now sells various supplements and vitamins. Patrick Arnold and Greg Anderson each served a three-month jail sentence after pleading guilty with Anderson serving an additional three-month house arrest sentence. In 2006, Anderson was incarcerated again after being found in contempt of court for refusing to testify about Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield's use of banned steroids

[Enlightened-One]

Is Conte on VADA’s payroll?

I thought he was pretty much ostracised from anything credible.
Wiki says:
Technically speaking, BALCO is extinct, but Victor Conte is a free man and still running a business called "Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning" or "SNAC." After serving a four-month prison sentence prior to pleading guilty in 2005, he now sells various supplements and vitamins. Patrick Arnold and Greg Anderson each served a three-month jail sentence after pleading guilty with Anderson serving an additional three-month house arrest sentence. In 2006, Anderson was incarcerated again after being found in contempt of court for refusing to testify about Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield's use of banned steroids

Victor Conte was an advisor contracted to assist with the creation of VADA.

He is not an employee per se, but he definitely performed an advisory role to help establish VADA.

I’m not sure about his current affiliation with VADA, but he is constantly their advocate in the media.

He was previously accused of having a very close relationship with VADA’s founder, Dr. Margaret Goodman.

My thoughts are conflicted about Victor Conte, he deserves criticism, but who better to detect drug cheats than someone who previously spent years specialising in helping athletes circumvent the system in order to “pass the test”?

A lot of IT companies recruit former hackers, because they’ll know more about security flaws than most.

I guess the same principle applies to Victor Conte.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Conte has done shady things but he deserves credit for helping with vada

[KiwiRider]

Is Conte on VADA’s payroll?

I thought he was pretty much ostracised from anything credible.
Wiki says:
Technically speaking, BALCO is extinct, but Victor Conte is a free man and still running a business called "Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning" or "SNAC." After serving a four-month prison sentence prior to pleading guilty in 2005, he now sells various supplements and vitamins. Patrick Arnold and Greg Anderson each served a three-month jail sentence after pleading guilty with Anderson serving an additional three-month house arrest sentence. In 2006, Anderson was incarcerated again after being found in contempt of court for refusing to testify about Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield's use of banned steroids

Victor Conte was an advisor contracted to assist with the creation of VADA.

He is not an employee per se, but he definitely performed an advisory role to help establish VADA.

I’m not sure about his current affiliation with VADA, but he is constantly their advocate in the media.

He was previously accused of having a very close relationship with VADA’s founder, Dr. Margaret Goodman.

My thoughts are conflicted about Victor Conte, he deserves criticism, but who better to detect drug cheats than someone who previously spent years specialising in helping athletes circumvent the system in order to “pass the test”?

A lot of IT companies recruit former hackers, because they’ll know more about security flaws than most.

I guess the same principle applies to Victor Conte.

Tell ya this EO:
People who do jail time are easy to get to. Underworld elements have ways to make your time 'easier' and then they own you.
I would not trust a convicted cheat in the same way of your hackers example.
Aside from that, I thought VADA were quite distanced from Conte after the perjury case? I've not read anything from VADA linking them and Conte.

I would say that case was the straw that broke the ties between the two parties.

[gilgamesh]

Honestly, I just can't help but feel that this is going to end poorly for Pac. I think this will be the end of the road for him.

If Manny isn't being tested, consumes some dodgy concoctions and enters the ring looking like this, then he'll do fairly well against Spence Jr.

I think he could be on all the Steroids that money can buy, and he'd still get his ass kicked.

[Bandog]

It's not unreasonable as fans, and especially those that bet money, that this will be a "clean" fight. People get butt hurt at accusations, but the integrity of boxing in many areas has taken a hit in recent years. We need to advocate random drug testing for several reasons.

[gilgamesh]

It's not unreasonable as fans, and especially those that bet money, that this will be a "clean" fight. People get butt hurt at accusations, but the integrity of boxing in many areas has taken a hit in recent years. We need to advocate random drug testing for several reasons.

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Oscar De La Hoya already showed us in 2002 that a better fighter still wins even when his opponent is roided up.

[H8Usernames]

It's not unreasonable as fans, and especially those that bet money, that this will be a "clean" fight. People get butt hurt at accusations, but the integrity of boxing in many areas has taken a hit in recent years. We need to advocate random drug testing for several reasons.

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Oscar De La Hoya already showed us in 2002 that a better fighter still wins even when his opponent is roided up.

X2. To hell with all the anti doping hypocrisy.

[Thomastearns]

It's not unreasonable as fans, and especially those that bet money, that this will be a "clean" fight. People get butt hurt at accusations, but the integrity of boxing in many areas has taken a hit in recent years. We need to advocate random drug testing for several reasons.

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Oscar De La Hoya already showed us in 2002 that a better fighter still wins even when his opponent is roided up.

X2. To hell with all the anti doping hypocrisy.

Right on one level.

It would help level the playing field somewhat, for those that compete and those that gamble on the outcomes - though the big guns would still get access to the better and latest drugs and chemical technicians.

But wrong on all of the rest, even as a joke.

Using Peds is all a key part of a top modern boxers regime towards staying near the top of the money tree for years and years.

It's important to know all of the testing protocols and how to avoid them, which masking agents to use, who to pay etc.

[Enlightened-One]

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Success in the sport of boxing would end up heavily favouring fighters or teams with the greatest wealth to employ the best sports scientists and chemists, whilst also funding research in laboratories equipped with the most expensive and latest technology.

Boxers would also end up having similar lifespans to wrestlers and bodybuilders, where they die young.

I also think that there’d be adverse financial implications, due to a loss of sponsorship and advertising revenue resulting in companies refusing to align themselves with an immoral sport and its drug using athletes.

The same thought process would probably apply to mainstream casuals.

I appreciate the likelihood of most fighters having taken PED’s at some point in their careers (intentionally or accidentally), but it’s better for the sport that this fact is swept under the table and kept away from prying eyes.

This isn’t me being moralistic and judgemental, but what I’ve described is phenomena we’ve already witnessed occur to other drug-riddled sports, such as cycling.

[H8Usernames]

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Success in the sport of boxing would end up heavily favouring fighters or teams with the greatest wealth to employ the best sports scientists and chemists, whilst also funding research in laboratories equipped with the most expensive and latest technology.

Boxers would also end up having similar lifespans to wrestlers and bodybuilders, where they die young.

I also think that there’d be adverse financial implications, due to a loss of sponsorship and advertising revenue resulting in companies refusing to align themselves with an immoral sport and its drug using athletes.

The same thought process would probably apply to mainstream casuals.

I appreciate the likelihood of most fighters having taken PED’s at some point in their careers (intentionally or accidentally), but it’s better for the sport that this fact is swept under the table and kept away from prying eyes.

This isn’t me being moralistic and judgemental, but what I’ve described is phenomena we’ve already witnessed occur to other drug-riddled sports, such as cycling.

Boxers were able to dope as much as they wanted for decades, didn't seem to hurt them back then and isn't hurting them that much now.

[Enlightened-One]

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Success in the sport of boxing would end up heavily favouring fighters or teams with the greatest wealth to employ the best sports scientists and chemists, whilst also funding research in laboratories equipped with the most expensive and latest technology.

Boxers would also end up having similar lifespans to wrestlers and bodybuilders, where they die young.

I also think that there’d be adverse financial implications, due to a loss of sponsorship and advertising revenue resulting in companies refusing to align themselves with an immoral sport and its drug using athletes.

The same thought process would probably apply to mainstream casuals.

I appreciate the likelihood of most fighters having taken PED’s at some point in their careers (intentionally or accidentally), but it’s better for the sport that this fact is swept under the table and kept away from prying eyes.

This isn’t me being moralistic and judgemental, but what I’ve described is phenomena we’ve already witnessed occur to other drug-riddled sports, such as cycling.

Boxers were able to dope as much as they wanted for decades, didn't seem to hurt them back then and isn't hurting them that much now.

There’s a difference between no testing being performed in the sport of boxing (a few decades ago when it was previously commonplace for most sports not being tested) and fighters being allowed to take whatever they damn well want!

Drug testing eventually became prevalent in our sport, with both the media and fight fans openly celebrating fighters that tested clean, whilst lambasting those that didn’t.

Times change and PED testing matters.

You citing ancient history means nothing - it’s not a mentally competent counter-argument.

I look forward to your reply.

[gilgamesh]

I think we need to allow everyone to be on whatever they want. That way fights don't get cancelled.

Success in the sport of boxing would end up heavily favouring fighters or teams with the greatest wealth to employ the best sports scientists and chemists, whilst also funding research in laboratories equipped with the most expensive and latest technology.

Boxers would also end up having similar lifespans to wrestlers and bodybuilders, where they die young.

I also think that there’d be adverse financial implications, due to a loss of sponsorship and advertising revenue resulting in companies refusing to align themselves with an immoral sport and its drug using athletes.

The same thought process would probably apply to mainstream casuals.

I appreciate the likelihood of most fighters having taken PED’s at some point in their careers (intentionally or accidentally), but it’s better for the sport that this fact is swept under the table and kept away from prying eyes.

This isn’t me being moralistic and judgemental, but what I’ve described is phenomena we’ve already witnessed occur to other drug-riddled sports, such as cycling.

None of that would be the case if you simply didn't ask, and didn't talk about it.

I personally am of the opinion that Skills is what gets it done. PED's alone ain't gonna allow you to beat a better fighter.

[gilgamesh]

Success in the sport of boxing would end up heavily favouring fighters or teams with the greatest wealth to employ the best sports scientists and chemists, whilst also funding research in laboratories equipped with the most expensive and latest technology.

Boxers would also end up having similar lifespans to wrestlers and bodybuilders, where they die young.

I also think that there’d be adverse financial implications, due to a loss of sponsorship and advertising revenue resulting in companies refusing to align themselves with an immoral sport and its drug using athletes.

The same thought process would probably apply to mainstream casuals.

I appreciate the likelihood of most fighters having taken PED’s at some point in their careers (intentionally or accidentally), but it’s better for the sport that this fact is swept under the table and kept away from prying eyes.

This isn’t me being moralistic and judgemental, but what I’ve described is phenomena we’ve already witnessed occur to other drug-riddled sports, such as cycling.

Boxers were able to dope as much as they wanted for decades, didn't seem to hurt them back then and isn't hurting them that much now.

There’s a difference between no testing being performed in the sport of boxing (a few decades ago when it was previously commonplace for most sports not being tested) and fighters being allowed to take whatever they damn well want!

Drug testing eventually became prevalent in our sport, with both the media and fight fans openly celebrating fighters that tested clean, whilst lambasting those that didn’t.

Times change and PED testing matters.

You citing ancient history means nothing - it’s not a mentally competent counter-argument.

I look forward to your reply.

The public don't give a f*ck. They want to be entertained. If you just don't test 'em, and don't mention it at all. Nobody cares.

[brilo33]

Boxers were able to dope as much as they wanted for decades, didn't seem to hurt them back then and isn't hurting them that much now.

There’s a difference between no testing being performed in the sport of boxing (a few decades ago when it was previously commonplace for most sports not being tested) and fighters being allowed to take whatever they damn well want!

Drug testing eventually became prevalent in our sport, with both the media and fight fans openly celebrating fighters that tested clean, whilst lambasting those that didn’t.

Times change and PED testing matters.

You citing ancient history means nothing - it’s not a mentally competent counter-argument.

I look forward to your reply.

The public don't give a f*ck. They want to be entertained. If you just don't test 'em, and don't mention it at all. Nobody cares.

dont agree at all , a neutral fighter yea who cares , but a fighter representing your country or city or even ur sports team or even just like his fire to find they were on peds , i wouldnt be proud of ,it would turn me off the game though iaint navie i know drugs is rife in every sport and iam assume most fighters are taking or taken something i would rather not know stil getting over santa claus not being real , fighting to me was bring your best man , and ave it

[gilgamesh]

There’s a difference between no testing being performed in the sport of boxing (a few decades ago when it was previously commonplace for most sports not being tested) and fighters being allowed to take whatever they damn well want!

Drug testing eventually became prevalent in our sport, with both the media and fight fans openly celebrating fighters that tested clean, whilst lambasting those that didn’t.

Times change and PED testing matters.

You citing ancient history means nothing - it’s not a mentally competent counter-argument.

I look forward to your reply.

The public don't give a f*ck. They want to be entertained. If you just don't test 'em, and don't mention it at all. Nobody cares.

dont agree at all , a neutral fighter yea who cares , but a fighter representing your country or city or even ur sports team or even just like his fire to find they were on peds , i wouldnt be proud of ,it would turn me off the game though iaint navie i know drugs is rife in every sport and iam assume most fighters are taking or taken something i would rather not know stil getting over santa claus not being real , fighting to me was bring your best man , and ave it

But if nobody ever mentioned one way or the other whether a guy was on PED's you wouldn't know would you? The problem would resolve itself.

[adislav123]

but you would know, cause it takes one look at guys taking 'whatever they want' to see they are on something.

also it would spiral completely out of control pretty fast with guys literally using everything possible or impossible that could give them the slightest edge over their opponent with the opponent doing the same just to be sure not to be at a disadvantage.

[brilo33]

The public don't give a f*ck. They want to be entertained. If you just don't test 'em, and don't mention it at all. Nobody cares.

dont agree at all , a neutral fighter yea who cares , but a fighter representing your country or city or even ur sports team or even just like his fire to find they were on peds , i wouldnt be proud of ,it would turn me off the game though iaint navie i know drugs is rife in every sport and iam assume most fighters are taking or taken something i would rather not know stil getting over santa claus not being real , fighting to me was bring your best man , and ave it

But if nobody ever mentioned one way or the other whether a guy was on PED's you wouldn't know would you? The problem would resolve itself.

yea i agree , i dont want a know about there drug use , keep it behind close doors sell us the rocky story i dont want to know people do more drugs than myself then what do i have to aspire too no but seriously ufc was pretty much like that a few years back granted it was exciting probably the reason its so big now , your american aint ya gil did peds ruin football or baseball i would assume no