By James Slater: Earlier this week, the sport of boxing was shocked by news of yet another familiar name being caught taking illegal stimulants. British heavyweight giant Larry Olubamiwo, known as “The War Machine,” was banned from the sport for four years, his pro wins overturned, due to his admitting to taking banned substances including growth hormones.
Along with the recent bad press fighters Andre Berto and Lamont Peterson brought the sport due to their own drug taking, the case of Olubamiwo brought boxing yet another black eye. The chiselled 33-year-old was thought to be one of boxing’s nice guys, and his admitted cheating upset many. However, Larry, in defending himself, says what he did cannot be classed as cheating, because he is not the only fighter doing it.
Far from it, big Larry says – in fact, in writing on Boxrec’s forum, the heavyweight claims there are vast numbers of his fellow fighters who are “on the stuff.”
“I felt I owed to the forum to say a few words,” he wrote (edit). “Yes I had been doping for six years but for most of you guys to think my opponents were not because of their physiques is quite ridiculous. Although I will not mention any names the majority of the boxers you all love so dear are on the stuff, fact and this is from me talking to them, seeing them buy the stuff or talking to their training personnel. Cheating is when you are the only person doing something and since I know that I wasn’t the only person doing it, it can’t be defined as cheating.
“A large minority if not majority of boxers are doping and the naivety of the public to think that mine is an isolated case is staggering. Also I am surprised I get so much stick but the guys I look up to in the sport like Roy Jones, Shane Mosley and James Toney who have all been caught don’t get as much stick.”
Olubamiwo went on to recall the infamous Evander Holyfield “Evan Fields” incident and he also claims Floyd Mayweather admitted to taking banned painkillers. Larry vowed to return to the sport when his ban has been lifted, and he also implored his critics to “walk a mile in my shoes before you judge me.”
Reading what Olubamiwo has to say, the first thing that entered my mind was, who are the other fighters Larry says he knows are also doping? Olubamiwo must be given credit for not naming these fighters, when it must surely have been tempting for him to have done so, in an effort to drag other boxers down with him. Is our sport really in as bad a shape as Larry says it is with regards to so many guys taking illegal stimulants?
It seems as though, just recently, week after week another big name is revealed as a drugs cheat. Listen to Olubamiwo or not, but it must be agreed – he is not the only one to have done what he has done with regards to PED’s. Neither will Larry be the last guy to get caught.