LAS VEGAS ? The trainer for Andre Berto hopes the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Nevada State Athletic Commission will ?adhere to its rules? during Friday?s weigh-in for Floyd Mayweather?s welterweight championship bout with Berto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and avoid the type of controversy that has erupted over events following Mayweather?s weigh-in for his bout with Manny Pacquiao last May.
A recent report revealed Mayweather received an IV injection of saline and vitamins under the observation of USADA to counter dehydration after his weigh-in for the Pacquiao bout. Intravenous infusions are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. USADA chose not to notify the NSAC about the IV at the time.
Virgil Hunter, who will serve as Berto?s trainer for the Showtime pay-per-view bout, said there?s little he can do to ensure rules are followed after weigh-ins. He puts the burden on those who are supposed to be looking out for the safety of the fighter.
?It?s something they have to deal with,? Hunter said Thursday, adding, ?But if you have an entity as big as USADA, if they subjected themselves to that and violated their own rules, I think they should be scrutinized even worse than the accused. You can only get away with what you can be allowed to get away with.?
It?s hard to figure out who is guilty of what in what basically boils down to a lack of coordination between USADA, the agency hired by Mayweather Promotions to randomly test fighters for performance-enhancing drugs, and the NSAC, which is regulating the bout.
?It?s incumbent for the Nevada State Athletic Commission and USADA to work together in regards to performance-enhancing drugs and do what?s best to eradicate them from combat sports,? NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told The Post. ?The bottom line is the NSAC has got to make sure we have our plan in place to do our best to work with the other anti-doping agencies.?
Bennett said there will be no new procedures in place for the Mayweather-Berto weigh-in on Friday. Meanwhile, Hunter said he wasn?t sure if there is anyone to blame for what happened in May.
?A lie has wings and the truth has feet,? Hunter said. ?That?s why a lie can fly all over town and get there first. The truth moves slowly, but when the truth arrives, it can stand on its own.?
USADA issued a statement saying Mayweather did not break any rules by taking the IV, noting he ?applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) by USADA? for the infusion. What upset the NSAC was the exemption was granted 19 days after the fight.
Mayweather insisted he did nothing wrong.
?As already confirmed by the USADA statement I did not commit any violations of the Nevada or USADA drug testing guidelines,? he said in a statement. ?I follow and have always followed the rules of Nevada and USADA, the gold standard of drug testing.
?Let?s not forget that I was the one six years ago who insisted on elevating the level of drug testing for all my fights. As a result, there is more drug testing and awareness of its importance in the sport of boxing today than ever before. I am very proud to be a clean athlete and will continue to champion the cause.?
Events from the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout continue to cast a dark cloud over Mayweather-Berto. The much-anticipated fight was a disappointment, leaving many fans frustrated. It has caused apathy for the Berto fight, for which the MGM Grand will be scaled back to seat 15,000 instead of 18,000.
