BoxRec

BRUNO SURACE DEMANDS LOSS 'OVERTURNED IMMEDIATELY' AFTER VADA SAYS JAIME MUNGUIA TESTED POSITIVE

VADA informed all relevant parties Wednesday that Jaime Munguia’s A-sample returned an adverse analytical finding for exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites following a urine sample on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when he defeated Bruno Surace, sources told The Ring.

Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) has 10 days to request analysis of his B-sample for exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites. If his B-sample also returns an adverse finding for the banned substance, Munguia faces suspension and the result of his decision victory could be overturned to a no-contest.

Mexico’s Munguia, 28, defeated Surace in the super middleweight rematch after he was KO'd in Round 6 by the Frenchman in December in The Ring’s Upset of the Year.



“I’m shocked by the news that Jaime Munguia tested positive for a banned substance,” Surace, 26, told The Ring on Thursday. “There’s no place in boxing for cheating; the sport is dangerous enough already.

“I went to Mexico and knocked out Munguia fair and square in December and I was gracious enough to give him a rematch in May. He knew he could not beat me on a level playing field. I trust that this result will be overturned immediately.”

Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs) was a major underdog when he traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, in what amounted to a stay-busy fight for Munguia. After all, Surace was moving up one weight class and had scored just four career KOs.

In a career-defining victory, Surace sprung the upset when he landed a massive right hand in Round 6 that planted Munguia on the canvas in Round 6 for the 10 count.

Munguia linked up with renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso ahead of the rematch and held training camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains alongside former foe Canelo Alvarez. (Alvarez defeated Munguia in May 2024.)

And then on the undercard of Canelo’s victory over William Scull in May, Munguia exacted revenge with a unanimous decision victory over Surace in a competitive fight. Following the fight, Munguia climbed to No. 5 in The Ring’s 168-pound rankings while Surace fell to No. 8.

But now, that victory could be eliminated as Munguia faces discipline following a rocky 2024 where he suffered the first two losses of his career.

JAIME MUNGUIA DENIES DOPING AFTER VADA REVEALS POSITIVE TEST; BRUNO SURACE WANTS LOSS ERASED 'IMMEDIATELY'

VADA informed all relevant parties Wednesday that Jaime Munguia’s A-sample returned an adverse analytical finding for exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites following a urine sample on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when he defeated Bruno Surace, sources told The Ring.

Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs), who denied doping in a statement released on via social media account Thursday afternoon, has 10 days to request analysis of his B-sample for exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites. If his B-sample also returns an adverse finding for the banned substance, Munguia faces suspension and the result of his decision victory could be overturned to a no-contest.

"Several experts have explained that there are multiple ways contamination can occur," Munguia's statement said. "I am fully willing to undergo any retroactive, current, or future testing to demonstrate that I have always been a clean athlete."

Mexico’s Munguia, 28, defeated Surace in the super middleweight rematch after he was KO'd in Round 6 by the Frenchman in December in The Ring’s Upset of the Year.

“I’m shocked by the news that Jaime Munguia tested positive for a banned substance,” Surace, 26, told The Ring on Thursday. “There’s no place in boxing for cheating; the sport is dangerous enough already.

“I went to Mexico and knocked out Munguia fair and square in December and I was gracious enough to give him a rematch in May. He knew he could not beat me on a level playing field. I trust that this result will be overturned immediately.”

Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs) was a major underdog when he traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, in what amounted to a stay-busy fight for Munguia. After all, Surace was moving up one weight class and had scored just four career KOs.

In a career-defining victory, Surace sprung the upset when he landed a massive right hand that planted Munguia on the canvas in Round 6 for the 10 count.

Munguia linked up with renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso ahead of the rematch and held training camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains alongside former foe Canelo Alvarez. (Alvarez defeated Munguia in May 2024.)

And then on the undercard of Canelo’s victory over William Scull in May, Munguia exacted revenge with a unanimous decision victory over Surace in a competitive fight. Following the fight, Munguia climbed to No. 5 in The Ring’s 168-pound rankings while Surace fell to No. 8.

But now, that victory could be eliminated as Munguia faces discipline following a rocky 2024 where he suffered the first two losses of his career.

"Throughout my boxing career, I have undergone numerous anti-doping tests and have never tested positive," Munguia's statement said. "I was tested twice during this training camp, and both results came back negative, which is why receiving this notification of an adverse finding has been a complete surprise to me."

Jaime Munguia present for unsealing of "B" sample for evaluation

Jaime Munguía has taken the next step to prove that he is, in fact, a clean fighter.

The former WBO 154lbs titlist and current super middleweight contender has contended that his positive drug test surrounding his May 4 win over Bruno Surace was an anomaly. Upon his request, Munguía and promoter Fernando Beltran, head of Zanfer Boxing, requested the opening and evaluation of their “B” sample from the test in question.

They were both present to witness the opening of said test sample Tuesday at Sports Medicine Research and Testing Lab (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“We are present and ready as the VADA B-sample is officially open in Utah,” Beltran confirmed through a social media post where he is pictured on site with Munguía. “We hope this provides clarity.”

At present moment, Munguía, 45-2 (35 KOs) is under investigation for a drug testing sample which detected the presence of exogenous testosterone. Testing was contracted through Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) for his abovementioned rematch with France’ Surace, 26-1-2 (5 KOs) last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

All parties involved were notified on May 29, from which point Munguía had ten days to request the unsealing and examination of his “B” sample. The 28-year-old Tijuana native acted immediately and has remained vocal and consistent in his insistence that he did not cheat, unwillingly or otherwise.

“Jaime Munguía has never tested positive in over 100 anti-doping tests across his professional career until now,” a spokesperson for Team Munguía previously stated. “His record speaks for itself. He has always complied with VADA testing protocols and has built a reputation as a clean and respectful fighter who honors the integrity of the sport.

“We ask the boxing community to remember that context before rushing to judgment.”

Munguía fought for the first time since his stunning sixth-round knockout defeat to Surace last December 14 in his Tijuana hometown. He was well in control before he got caught in the sixth round in a verdict that was recognized by BS as the 2024 Upset of the Year.

Both sides agreed to run it back, although there was a minor issues before it landed on the Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-William Scull undercard in Riyadh. Munguia enlisted the services of renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso, best known for his work with Alvarez, 63-2-2 (39 KOs).

The move saw Munguía become stablemates with his first career conqueror; Alvarez defeated his countryman via unanimous decision to defend his undisputed 168lbs title last May 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Munguía sought a new lead coach after the loss to Surace, which left him at 1-2 in his past three fights after entering 2024 with a perfect 44-0 (34 KOs) record. The balance of his team remained the same, including Marco Antonio Pérez Espinoza who oversaw Munguía’s nutrition and supplement intake – a role he’s performed for the entirety of the boxer’s career.

“This is the first time Marco has ever been connected to a situation of this nature, and is fully cooperating in the current review process,” noted Team Munguía. “We have not been informed of the exact levels detected in the initial test, which is a critical piece of information, nor have we received the result of the B-sample, which is currently pending.”

In the event that the “B” sample upholds the original result, Munguía would then have to appear before the presiding commission to determine next step. Such instances normally result in the verdict overturned to a No-Contest, while punishment varies depending on the severity of the infraction.

Munguía and those by his side remain confident that it won’t come to that.

“There have been several instances across sports where athletes have been cleared after demonstrating that contamination—whether due to human error or tainted products—was the cause, and that there was no attempt to cheat,” Team Munguía noted. “We are hopeful that a thorough review will bring similar clarity to this situation.

“We recognize that the responsibility for ensuring full VADA compliance ultimately lies with Jaime and our team. We take that responsibility seriously and are actively reviewing every detail with the utmost diligence, working alongside experts and relevant authorities, to understand what occurred and find the source of the substance detected.”

Munguia's B-sample comes back positive for banned substance

Former junior middleweight titleholder Jaime Munguia could face disciplinary action after his B-sample came back positive for a banned substance following his May 4 unanimous decision victory over Bruno Surace.

Munguia could see the win overturned to a no-contest and might face a suspension ranging from six months to one year.

Munguia's team maintained his innocence in a statement Tuesday, which confirmed his test returned positive for exogenous testosterone metabolites.

"We want to reiterate that this outcome does not change our position: Jaime did not knowingly or intentionally ingest any banned substance," the team said in its statement. "We remain steadfast in the belief that this result was caused by contamination, and we are continuing to take every possible step to identify the source.

"Jaime remains unwavering in his commitment to clean competition, and we will continue to work closely with experts and relevant authorities to reach full clarity."

After the initial positive test, Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) said the findings were "a complete surprise" and formally requested that his B-sample be tested. He suggested he would be open to undergo any "retroactive, current, or future testing to demonstrate that I have always been a clean athlete."

Now that those findings are consistent with his A-sample, Munguia will await disciplinary action from the British Boxing Board of Control.

"I have spent my entire career and life doing things the right way -- and this is no exception," Munguia said in a statement. "I love boxing, and I am the first one who wants to clear everything up because boxing is my life. I can't wait to get back in the ring. We're going to prove that we never disrespected the sport, my opponents, or misled the fans."

Munguia's victory over Surace came in a rematch of their December bout, which Surace won by knockout.

Wasn't that his first fight with team Canelo? What a coincidence

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑18 Jun 2025, 04:35 Munguia could see the win overturned to a no-contest and might face a suspension ranging from six months to one year.

Six months? What a joke. He wouldn't fight earlier than that anyway. Same with Canelo after the first GGG fight.

Sendo Takeshi wrote: ↑18 Jun 2025, 10:35 Wasn't that his first fight with team Canelo? What a coincidence

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑18 Jun 2025, 04:35 Munguia could see the win overturned to a no-contest and might face a suspension ranging from six months to one year.

Six months? What a joke. He wouldn't fight earlier than that anyway. Same with Canelo after the first GGG fight.

yh a ban should really be 2+ years. We've seen lesser cases receive 4 year bans.

But money talks too. Big money fighters pay bigger fees to these so called orgs.

Bruno Surace on Munguia testing controversy: ‘Painful for those who fight cleanly’

There stands a great chance that Bruno Surace’s undefeated record will be restored once an official ruling is made on Jaime Munguia’s positive drug test.

Just don’t expect the Frenchman to take a victory lap.

As reported by BS, Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs), remains under investigation for the drug testing results surrounding their May 4 rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Munguia claimed a unanimous decision victory, six months after he was knocked out by France’s Surace, 26-1-2 (5 KOs), in the sixth round of their December 14 meeting in his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico.

The revenge-fueled feat by Munguia was immediately doused in controversy when it was learned that a collected sample returned adverse findings of exogenous testosterone. The unsealing and analysis of his “B” sample produced the same result.

Surace was generally silent on the subject until it became clear that Munguia is clearly at fault.

“I feel the need to speak up about recent revelations regarding Jaime Munguia's doping,” Surace said in a public statement made through his verified social media accounts. “First of all, I want to remind you that Munguia is a boxer I've long admired. He's a champion, a warrior, someone who made a mark on our sport. “When I gave him this rematch after my win in Tijuana, it wasn’t a simple choice: it was a walk of truth. I didn't want people to say I was lucky, it was an accident.

“I wanted to prove, once and for all, that I earned my place with my fists, my heart, and my work. During the whole preparation, I have put my life on the side. With my team (@coach_kayser , @yougane.n , @amazigh_abk )we worked like never before. We locked in this mission with total determination. Every day, every session, every pain had meaning: showing up 100% against one of the biggest names in boxing.”

Munguia will now have to appear before the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), the presiding commission over the May 4 event in Riyadh.

There exists the very strong likelihood that the fight outcome will be changed to a No-Contest. Worse for Munguia is the punishment that is expected to come from the infraction. Whereas commissions in the United States are far too lenient when it comes to discipline for positive drug tests, the BBBofC caries a strict liability policy – meaning, athletes are responsible for what enters their system, unintentional or otherwise.

Meanwhile, Surace finds himself at a crossroad as he figures out his own next move.

The first fight with Munguia saw Surace move up from middleweight while on the heels of a 52-week layoff. He was decked early in their super middleweight clash intended as a hometown showcase for Munguia, who was well in the lead through five rounds.

It changed in an instant when Surace landed a monster right hand in the sixth round. Munguia hit the deck hard and was unable to gather his composure in time to avoid a stunning knockout defeat.

“I know this fight could change my life,” Surace told BS’s Tris Dixon at the time. “When I threw a punch, I kept it in mind that it could change my life, so I was 100 percent focused and motivated by that.”

Surace parlayed the career-best win into a lucrative payday from their rematch. It was originally targeted for April before talks fell apart. Plans were resurrected when Turki Alalshikh and the Riyadh Season group agreed to finance the fight, which was the co-feature to the Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-William Scull undisputed super middleweight championship.

The initial win over Munguia saw Surace emerge as a consensus top ten contender. He dropped down towards the bottom rung following their rematch, though his previous placement could be restored once the fight outcome is overturned.

However, the damage is already done as far as he’s concerned.

“So yeah the fight [outcome] is annulled today,” noted Surace, though basing the comment on confirmation of Munguia’s drug test. “And even if the truth always comes out, that's not the outcome I came here for. That's not why I sacrificed everything. I can't rejoice in this situation because there's nothing to celebrate in it. It's sad for our sport. It is unfair to those who train with integrity. And it's painful for those who fight cleanly, honestly.
“Boxing is a tough sport. It asks for everything and sometimes gives little. But that's why we love it, too. How I feel today is great disappointment but also an even stronger desire to keep fighting for myself, for my team, for everyone who believes in fair boxing. We are now waiting for a sanction on the level of my disappointment to be passed by the competent authorities and I stand ready more than ever for what's next.”

how long until they strip munguia of this win ?

Report – The WBC Clean Boxing Program – Jaime Munguia and Francisco “Chihuas” Rodriguez

The WBC hereby reports two adverse findings under its Clean Boxing Program. In both cases, the WBC Results Management Unit has started the evaluation process, consistent with its applicable protocol upon receiving adverse findings’ reports.

Jaime Munguia

The WBC CBP Results Management Unit has been in direct communication with Jaime Munguia and his representatives. Mr. Munguía’s team has been 100% cooperative. The WBC has received detailed information and supporting documents which will allow a full evaluation and eventual ruling. The WBC CBP will report on the matter as it continues its investigation and evaluation process.

Jaime Munguia avoids punishment for failed drug test, eyes late-year return

Jaime Munguia convinced UKADA and the BBBofC that his failed drug test was a false positive

Despite both his A- and B-samples coming back positive for exogenous testosterone after last May’s unanimous decision over Bruno Surace in their rematch, Salvador Rodriguez reports that Jaime Munguia will receive no punishment from either UK Anti-Doping or the British Boxing Board of Control, clearing the way for a potential return in November or December.

Munguia (45-2, 35 KO) released a statement on Instagram confirming the news, adding that “the positive result was a false positive caused by accidental contamination with pregnenolone.” Per USADA, pregnenolone is used “as an anti-aging compound, for hormone replacement and to treat a myriad of medical conditions” and is not on their banned substance list. That said, they also consider “the use of any dietary supplement that claims to deliver or ‘boost’ hormones to be especially risky.”

Hence the increased testosterone, at least if you buy Munguia’s explanation. His team’s statement goes on to say that “[t]he levels detected were extremely low, provided no performance advantage, and were fully consistent with accidental exposure.”

Munguia is now clear to return to the ring as soon as he’s ready; Riyadh’s November 22nd show recently lost Subriel Matias vs Dalton Smith, so that could be somewhere to slot him in. Even with the official exoneration, though, one would expect him to have a dark cloud over him for the foreseeable future.

Even though the exposition to a banned substance was accidental (let's just pretend we believe that, sure), the result should be turned into a no-contest, the fight with Surace was not fair. I thought it was decided to turn the result to a no-contest weeks ago, but it still hasn't been changed.

Hmm, interesting - but not surprising.

Jaime Munguia never tested positive before, so naturally he and his team blame the failed test results on the lab's accidental contamination with a substance - ironically, not banned by USADA - that resulted in a false positive. And then UK Anti-Doping and the BBBofC agreed with this explanation.

Not being privy to the evidence presented, their decisions just seem a little too convenient to me.

Ironically, Connor Coyle recently made the same claim for his positive test result but that didn't convince NYSAC, which overturned his draw with Vito Mielnicki Jr. to a no decision, forfeited 20% of his purse, and suspended him for nine months.

To me, the most troubling component to the Munguia case is the precedent it may have set. Test positive? Blame the lab and its faulty testing procedures and security measures. Yes, I know this is becoming more and more common among those athletes who fail drug tests.

On the flip side, these testing labs need to improve their protocols. They must operate above reproach, because legitimate false positives or erroneous test results do adversely affect boxers and other athletes.

Oh well, Surace still has that great KO win. That will be far more well remembered than the uneventful rematch.

British Boxing Board of Control Clears Jaime Munguía, Win Over Bruno Surace Stands

Jaime Munguía is eyeing a return at the end of 2025 — after he was cleared by the British Boxing Board of Control following a drug test from his unanimous decision victory over Bruno Surace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 3 returned an adverse finding for an exogenous testosterone, which is not naturally produced by the body.

The adverse finding came from a drug test on the day of his rematch vs. Surace. Munguía and his lawyer, Paul Greene of Global Sports Advocates, said the adverse finding was a false positive due to multiple supplements that he took on the day of the fight being contaminated with pregnenolone, a naturally occurring hormone that is not prohibited by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency.

The adverse finding was flagged by VADA, which was conducting the drug testing for the card. After it was flagged, the results were sent to the BBBofC, which was the sanctioning body that oversaw the May 3 card, and the results were then sent to the United Kingdom Anti-Doping. UKAD accepted Munguía’s explanation that pregnenolone was the cause of the adverse finding, and as a result, the BBBofC just warned him moving forward.

“The boxer’s explanation was accepted by UKAD and then advised to us,” said Robert Smith, the general secretary of the BBBofC, told The Ring. “Therefore, he was warned as to his future conduct. ... All the stuff that was supplied was looked at, and his explanation for the charge was accepted by UKAD. ... UKAD were not going to take it any further.”

As a result, Munguía’s victory over Surace will stand. The win avenged one of boxing’s biggest upsets in 2024, as Surace climbed off the canvas to win by sixth-round knockout Dec. 14. Despite splitting their two fights, Munguía (45-2, 32 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, doesn’t envision a third fight against Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs) of Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, happening.

“I think Surace is not an option anymore,” Munguía told The Ring on Sept. 10 through a translator. “We did what we had to do. I think that's a chapter that is closed, and now we are looking for other challenges, for other fighters. We'll see what can come up this year and have a big fight next year.”

Before enrolling in VADA, Greene said that Munguía declared some of the supplements he’d be taking ahead of the rematch with Surace. After the adverse finding, Munguía sent 74 items to the SMRTL Lab in Utah to be tested, which included supplements, creams, lotions, medicine, foods and hotel shampoos he had used ahead of and on the day of the rematch.

Of those items, four supplements were contaminated with pregnenolone, while none had evidence that they were contaminated with the exogenous testosterone that returned an adverse finding.

Greene cited multiple studies, including a 2014 Wang Study, to back his claim that pregnenolone could produce “false-negative or false positive results in doping tests,” while one antidoping expert who requested anonymity told The Ring that pregnenolone alone can’t cause an adverse finding in an IRMS test.

The WBC corroborated both cases, stating that there are scientific publications that Munguía’s team provided “that can be interpreted as supporting his position,” though, they added that the “Ingestion of pregnenolone is not considered a valid justification for Mr. Munguía’s adverse finding.”

The WBC is treating the adverse finding as a first offense for Munguía and placing him on probation for one year retroactive to the date of the adverse finding. He’ll be subjected to additional random drug tests, among other stipulations.

Munguía conducted multiple tests, which included blood, hair and nail tests and a polygraph test at FBI-approved offices, per a WBC newsletter that was sent Sept. 9.

The WBC later said on its website on Sept. 17 that Munguía’s primary defense was “he had unintentionally and unknowingly consumed at least four supplements which were contaminated with pregnenolone, and his unknowing ingestion of pregnenolone-contaminated supplements explained the adverse finding.”

It also stated: “The WBC Results Management considered Mr. Munguía’s defense and could not determine with reasonable certainty the ultimate causal source of the Adverse Finding.”

Munguía, 28, said the sanctioning body’s involvement in the aftermath of his adverse finding was due to his ranking by the WBC at super middleweight, though, his rematch vs. Surace wasn’t sanctioned by the group.

“My relationship with the WBC and Mauricio is really great,” Munguía said. “They've been really supportive of me. We've had a lot of meetings where we showed our scientific evidence. They wanted to make sure that everything was done the right way.

“Even though they didn't sanction the fight, they needed to see if it was going to be clear or not. So they had a process because I'm enrolled with VADA. ... I needed to prove to [the WBC], even though they were supportive, that I was innocent.”

Munguía is ranked No. 3 (WBC), No. 4 (IBF) and ninth (WBO).

Glad the result turned out proper here and Munguia keeps his victory.