Deceased boxer handed four-year suspension for cocaine in massive UKAD blunder, apology issued

Modified Jun 25, 2024 02:50 GMT

UKAD issues apology for banning Moises Calleros. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

The UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) recently issued an apology for releasing a statement regarding a deceased Mexican boxer's drug violation. The agency reportedly announced a four-year ban for the pugilist but later apologized for not taking cognizance of his passing.

In a now-deleted post on social media, UKAD revealed that Moises Calleros tested positive for cocaine during a drug test after his fight against Galal Yafai last April. Calleros notably lost the bout via fourth-round stoppage.

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Per talkSPORT, a tweet confirmed that Calleros had violated the agency's rules and stated:

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"Anti-Doping Rule Violation! Mexican Professional Boxer Moises Calleros has been banned for four years, following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the presence and Use of Prohibited substance, cocaine and its metabolite."

However, the post was soon taken down after it was revealed that Calleros had passed away in March. UKAD soon issued an apology for their blunder. In an official statement, the agency stated:

"UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has today received information regarding the death of Mexican professional boxer Moises Calleros. UKAD received this information shortly after publishing details of the outcome from a case concerning Mr. Calleros in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules. Unfortunately, UKAD had no information regarding Mr Calleros’ sad passing at the time of publication and has now removed all details of this case from its channels."

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Fans react to UKAD issuing an apology for banning deceased boxer Moises Calleros

While UKAD released a statement apologizing for their mistake regarding Moises Calleros' cocaine violation, fans weren't happy about the agency's lack of sensitivity. After their statement was posted on social media, many fight fans sounded off on them in the comments section.

Soon after veteran boxing reporter Michael Benson posted UKAD's apology on his X handle, many flocked to the post's comments section to express their thoughts. One fan opined that a four-year suspension was excessive for a cocaine violation and wrote:

"4 years for coke is crazy, actual PEDs getting much less."

Another fan wrote:

"Shouldn’t they be communicating with people so they were aware of this? Processes for UKAD and the board don’t seem to be the best. New York commission was much swifter."

One user wrote:

"UKAD is a joke and this isn't an apology."

Check out some more reactions below:

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Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta