Shortly before Manny Pacquiao's dominant victory over Antonio Margarito, behind-the-scenes drama unfolded that nearly prevented both fighters from ever stepping inside the ring. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, requested a pre-fight anti-doping test, accusing Margarito of taking a banned stimulant prior to their title fight at Cowboys Stadium. According to reports, Billy Keane, an associate of Roach who was in Margarito's locker room to witness the wrapping of his hands, noticed a bottle that he believed contained a substance mixed with Ephedra.
"I saw them try to give [Margarito] Hydroxycut and caught them," Keane would tell Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "He had coffee loaded with Splenda and sugar. The doctor said it was his choice to take the pills, but it would probably come up in the [post-fight urinalysis]. I did not see him take any pills." At this point, it's unclear as to what exactly led Keane to believe that Margarito used Ephedra, but Roach immediately demanded the anti-doping tests as soon as he was alerted. The Texas Commission, however, denied his request, reassuring Roach that Margarito would be tested for a complete drug screening following the fight.
Hydroxcut, a popular diet pill that's available over the counter, has been ephedera-free since 2004, when the FDA banned all supplements containing Ephedra from the U.S. market. The product Hydroxylean, however, is the exact same formula as the original Hydroxycut with Epedra. The effects of Ephedera are similar to, but much more powerful than, caffeine, giving its user increased energy levels, improved blood circulation, improved upper respiratory condition, and increased concentration and alertness.
Given that the biggest fight in boxing, a showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, has yet to take place due to a disagreement in anti-doping procedures, it's ironic to see Freddie Roach demanding an anti-doping test on the actual night of the fight. While Mayweather has stood firm on his demand for random Olympic-style testing leading all the way up until the bout, Pacquiao has thus far only been willing to agree to testing up until 7 days before the fight. After going through his own experience with an opponent and their use of performance enhancing drugs on the night of the fight, one has to wonder if Roach may now understand why Floyd Mayweather might have his own reasons, whether they're justified or not, for wanting more stringent testing leading up until fight night.
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