Drug test: Shannon Briggs fight with Oquendo to be called off? News

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Drug test: Shannon Briggs fight with Oquendo to be called off?

By Daily Sports on May 22, 2017

Former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs’ career, has been hit. he allegedly has tested positive for increased testosterone levels.

The positive test means that the 45-year-old Briggs’ scheduled June 3rd fight against 44-year-old Fres Oquendo (37-8, 24 KOs) will be called off. Briggs and Oquendo were supposed to be fighting for the vacant WBA World heavyweight title. Briggs’ drug test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association on May 14 tested high for testosterone.

Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs) can have his B-sample tested by VADA to see if that will show a different result. Whether Briggs will elect to have the second test is unknown. There’s a chance that the B-sample will clear Briggs if he elects to have it tested.

According to Fight News, Briggs had almost double the allowable testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. It would be a pity to see Briggs lose out on his chance to win another heavyweight world title. If Briggs has to wait another 3 years to get in position to fight for a world title, he might be too old by then. Briggs will be 48 in three years.

Fighting Oquendo would have been perfect for Briggs to have an even chance to win a world title, and then possibly fight Anthony Joshua.

This WBA title is turning out to be bad luck, as the previous title holder Lucas Browne also tested positive for a banned drug last year. Anthony Joshua is the WBA ‘Super’ World heavyweight champion.

The winner of the Briggs-Oquendo fight would have been the WBA ‘World” heavyweight champion, which is sometimes referred to as the WBA ‘Regular’ heavyweight champion. It’s very confusing and sad as well to have more than heavyweight champion within the same sanctioning body.

The Briggs vs. Oquendo fight was scheduled to be taking place next month on June 3 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Unless something can keep the Briggs-Oqunedo fight taking place, it would have been a fight between two heavyweights with a combined age of 89-years-old.

It would also would have been odd for 2 heavyweights to be fighting for a world title given their inactivity. Oquendo hasn’ fought since 2014. Briggs hasn’t seen action since May 21, 2016. It’s been exactly 1 year since Briggs last fought.

*Photo shows Shannon Briggs.

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 22, 2017