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WBA
Heavyweight Champion John Ruiz Sues Toney Based On Illegal Doping
NEW YORK (NOV 5) Attorneys for World Boxing Association
heavyweight champion John Ruiz announced on Nov. 1, that a lawsuit has
been filed on Ruiz's behalf against James Toney based on Toney's use of
illegal performance-enhancing steroids in advance of their April 30,
2005 title fight. In the lawsuit, Ruiz claims that Toney's use of
Nandrolone, one of the most powerful performance-enhancing substances
available, dramatically enhanced Toney's ability to fight by
artificially augmenting his strength, speed and power. As a direct
result of Toney's doping, Ruiz lost a fight that he otherwise would not
have lost and sustained physical injuries that he otherwise would not
have sustained. Notwithstanding that the judges' decision in favor of
Toney on April 30 was overturned by the WBA after Toney's drug test
subsequently came back positive for illegal steroids, Ruiz has also
incurred substantial financial damages as a result of initially losing a
decision in a fight that he would have won had Toney not cheated.
Several days after the April 30 fight, Toney's mandatory drug test came
back with a positive result, reflecting the presence of Nandrolone in
Toney's bloodstream. Use of Nandrolone is illegal under federal law, and
Nandrolone is classified as a Schedule III drug under 21 U.S.C. § 812.
On May 16, 2005, the WBA sanctioned Toney for his illegal use of
steroids, precluding him from fighting for a WBA title for two years.
The New York State Athletic Commission also levied their maximum
applicable sanction against Toney, which included a $10,000 fine.
Ruiz made the following comment in connection with the lawsuit: "The
problem of steroids in the sport of boxing must be addressed. This
lawsuit is an effort to push this process forward. Boxers risk their
lives every time they step into the ring. The illegal use of steroids
increases a boxer's risk in a way that is simply unacceptable." Since
the April 30 fight, Ruiz has called for the WBA and other boxing
organizations to improve their standards, testing protocols and
penalties to prevent and deter the use of anabolic steroids and other
banned performance enhancing substances.
Ruiz's attorney, Aaron Marks of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP
in New York, made the following comment in connection with the lawsuit
commenced by his firm: "This case more than underscores the epidemic
problem in sports today caused by athletes' abuse of
performance-enhancing steroids. This is not merely a situation where an
athlete uses steroids in order to hit a baseball farther. Here, James
Toney used illegal steroids to augment his speed and power so that he
could hit another boxer harder. This could mean life or death for a
competitor."
John Ruiz is the first and only world heavyweight champion of Hispanic
heritage. He has beaten former world champions Evander Holyfield, Hasim
Rahman, and Tony Tucker, as well as top 10 contenders Andrew Golota,
Fres Oquendo and Kirk Johnson.
