Boxers Molina, Mosley, Beltran Suspended for Banned Substances

It was a grim day for three boxers when they appeared in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission for various failed drug screens. Former world title challengers John Molina Jr. and Raymundo Beltran and young contender Shane Mosley Jr. all were hit with hefty fines and lengthy suspensions in a hearing with the Nevada Athletic Commission Thursday afternoon.

Molina fought on March 7, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Adrien Broner in a lackluster performance. After the fight, however, Molina failed a urinalysis due to having traces of the banned diuretic furosemide in his system. Molina and his trainer Joe Goossen, vehemently denied knowingly taking the substance, claiming it must have come from a tainted supplement, but the NAC wasn’t moved by his plight.

The Commission hit Molina with a seven-month fine, retroactive to March 7 and nailed him with a $90,000 fine, which is 20 percent of the $450,000 he made by fighting Broner. Molina must also reimburse the state for all costs accrued for the testing as well as today’s hearing. He could potentially fight in October, but he has to first supply the NAC with a clean urine sample.

Mosley, the son of former multiple-time world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, pleaded with the commissioners for lenience because he claims the reason he had traces of amphetamines in his system were from a prescription to the drug Adderall. Mosley Jr. said he has been battling ADHD for years and it recently reached the point where he needed to seek professional help.

The NAC was thankful for his honesty and candor, but because information on all the banned substances is readily available, the members were unwilling to forego a punishment and suspended him for seven months, retroactive to his June 27 bout against Jason Paul Kelly on the BKB 3 card.

Since Mosley Jr. defeated Kelly in just 51 seconds, his win was overturned and changed to a “no contest” and he was fined 25 percent of his $25,000 purse, which comes to about $6,250. Mosley Jr. must test clean upon re-licensure and he has to reimburse the state for costs accrued for the testing and the hearing. Mosley Jr. was hoping to make history later this year by fighting on the same card as his father, but that is now in doubt.

Beltran tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Stanozolol following his second-round TKO of Takahiro Ao on May 1 at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. Beltran failed to make weight both times he weighed in and wasn’t allowed to fight for the vacant WBO lightweight title that night and he admitted to using Stanozolol in order to help cut weight.

Like the others, the NAC didn’t pull any punches and suspended Beltran for nine months, retroactive to May 1 and hit him with a $25,500 fine, or 30 percent of his $80,000 purse. His win was also changed to a “no contest” and he has to reimburse the state for costs accrued for the testing and the hearing as well as supply a clean urine sample upon re-licensure when his suspension is lifted.