With mere days before his bout for the unified light-welterweight championship against Danny Garcia, boxer Erik Morales has been informed that there were "irregularities" in his pre-fight drug test, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix:
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer tells SI.com he's been informed by USADA that there were "irregularities" in Erik Morales test
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) October 19, 2012
Though it's unclear at the moment what Morales tested positive for or whether it was actually a banned substance in the first place, this undoubtedly casts doubt on the fight's future.
Nonetheless, Mannix is reporting that while the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency does its tests, the fight is still scheduled to take place on Oct. 20:
Schaefer says he was informed on Wednesday. Says USADA has started the evaluation process. As of now, the fight with @dannyswift is still on
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) October 19, 2012
What's more, when speaking to Mannix, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer made sure to tell fans to avoid rushing to judgement.
This bout is scheduled to be the second between the two fighters and a huge showcase for Showtime.
Garcia and Morales had battled to a unanimous decision victory for Garcia in March. That loss gave Morales his second loss in three fights and left many to wonder whether the once-great fighter was in the twilight of his career.
Nonetheless, in the pre-fight lead-up, Morales looked to be in far better shape than the first time around, leading many think he could pull off the upset against the undefeated champion.
For now, it seems like boxing fans will simply have to wait on the final word as the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency does further tests.
Either way, this could be yet another blow for the sport that is in such desperate need of a marquee fight.
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