John Ruiz has a message to deliver but, is anyone paying attention? Unfortunately, I don't think so. Not too many people take John Ruiz serious. If John Ruiz never fought again would anyone care?

      Watching a John Ruiz fight is akin to watching paint dry. The only thing worse than watching a John Ruiz fight  would be watching a Hopkins/Ruiz doubleheader.  Now, that is sleep inducing. John Ruiz is the anti E.F. Hutton; when John speaks no one listens and no one cares. Worse yet,  no one takes him serious, especially with his latest ramblings on Vitali Klitschko and the heavyweight division. 

     This is a shame because, John Ruiz does have something important to relate; there are fighters out there that cheat! They use performance enhancing drugs; human growth hormone, steroids, etc. Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Fernando Vargas are a few top flight fighters who have tested positive for anabolic steroids.  

     Boxers using illegal performance enhancing drugs put drug free boxers at a severe disadvantage and risk, especially when there is a vast difference in skill level and God given natural ability.  There are too many athletes who use performance enhancing drugs.  Few have tested positive but, that may not be indicative of the usage quota. 

     In an era when fighters seem to jump weight classes and pack on 20 - 30 pounds of muscle in all the right places, on small to medium frames, it may be more common than we think. Of course users and their defenders have their handy dandy explanations ready; they have the best trainers, dieticians, sports nutrition is so advanced today, blah, blah, blah?   

     Cheaters tend to lie, even when they are caught; they blame it on flaxseed oil, prescription medication, nasal spray, Ripped Fuel, ephedrine, or some other so-called natural health supplement.     

     Fighters know when their drug test is going to be administered. It is therefore rare to get a positive result and easy to manipulate the results.  A knowledgeable fighter or trainer  would have to slip up or be uneducated in the nuances of cheating.  

     A fighter can use steroids, human growth hormone, etc., between fights and during training. As the fight nears, he/she cycles off the performance enhancer, lowering the levels of the drug in their system. This allows them to pass their drug test and derive the benefits of the illegal substance. 

     Don't take my word for it, read what Victor Conte the head of Balco has to say about testing and the methods athletes deploy to get around testing. 

Questions? Comments? Email Frank Costarelli Jr.