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Andreas Hale
Former junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a failed PED test after his May win over Bruno Surace.
The failed PED test was a false positive “caused by accidental contamination with pregnenolone, a legal, non-banned substance.” As a result, Munguia won’t face any sanctions and his win over Surace will remain unchanged.
Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) was initially flagged for a banned substance by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency a few weeks after outpointing Surace in a rematch after the Mexican was stopped in December.
Munguia proclaimed his innocence on social media and vowed he would clear his name.
Shortly after the initial positive test, Munguia’s team requested that the B-sample be tested. That test also came back positive. However, after further review of the samples, Munguia’s name was cleared, and he said he hopes to return to the ring before the end of the year.
“I want to thank the WBC for reviewing the complete scientific evidence and confirming there will be no investigation, charge, or sanction,” Munguia said in a statement Tuesday. “We’ve been notified by The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) that they appointed UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) as the body responsible for anti-doping regulation, testing, investigation and results management, and after their review of the full record, they reached the same conclusion.
“I did not cheat — the science proves it — and I am grateful to the WBC, BBBofC, and UKAD for acknowledging this truth. …. I am ready to put it behind me and move forward with my career. I look forward to returning to the ring soon, and I deeply appreciate everyone — especially my family, team, fans and sponsors — who stood by me through this ordeal.”