Jaime Munguia's recent victory over Bruno Surace won't be taken away. The Mexican boxer's positive drug test has been dismissed as a false alarm.
A few weeks ago, VADA announced that Munguia's A and B samples tested positive for banned substances. The news put his win over Surace in May at risk and raised questions about his reputation. It even dragged his trainer, Eddy Reynoso, into a PED controversy.
But now, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the British Boxing Board of Control, and the WBC have all confirmed that the positive test was just an accident. They found out it was caused by pregnenolone, which is actually legal and not banned under anti-doping rules.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said, "The WBC protocol investigation determined that Jaime Munguia is not guilty."
Munguia himself was quick to respond on Instagram:
"The science proves it-I did not cheat. I am grateful to the WBC, BBBofC, and UKAD for acknowledging this truth... I look forward to returning to the ring soon."
The 28-year-old Mexican fighter also spoke to Fight Hub TV, explaining his side of the story:
"I have been a clean person, a clean athlete. The supplements that came out contaminated, it is not an illegal substance, it is not something that improves my physical performance."
He made sure to clear his trainer's name too:
"Eddy isn't responsible for anything that I take... Eddy Reynoso has nothing to do with this. Thank you to Eddy Reynoso and the Canelo team for your support."
This decision clears the way for Munguia to get back into the mix at middleweight and super middleweight. He might even fight again before the end of the year, possibly on a Saudi Arabia fight card in late November.
Potential opponents for Munguia include a third fight with Bruno Surace, or matchups with Jermall Charlo or Caleb Plant. The big question now is: Can Jaime Munguia win back the trust of fans, critics, and the boxing world?
