Mosley, Gilbert Linked to Steroids

Add Shane Mosley and Joey Gilbert to the growing list of boxers accused of using performance enhancing drugs.

Sports Illustrated reports that Mosley used the BALCO designer steroids "the clear" and "the cream" - made famous by Barry Bonds among others - prior to his 2003 fight against Oscar De La Hoya. The report also indicates Mosley used EPO -- receiving his final dose just five days prior to the De La Hoya bout. If this sounds like old news, that's because it is. Mosley testified before a grand jury in 2003. The new news is that Mosley has now confirmed that he had "unknowingly" taken some banned substances. Would Mosley have beaten De La Hoya if he hadn't cheated? We'll never know ... but I wonder if this ever comes up in conversation now that Oscar and Shane are business partners.

Middleweight Joey Gilbert, formerly of "The Contender", has been suspended after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol metabolite, methamphetamine and amphetamine, as well as three other banned substances: nordiazepam, oxazepam and temazepam. Predictably, Gilbert plans to appeal because there's "an absolute explanation for this." Whatever.

Cheating by using performance enhancing drugs is a bigger problem in boxing than in the sports that typically dominate the steroid headlines. Why? Because the athletes that don't cheat in baseball, cycling and track and field are simply at a competitive disadvantage. A 'clean' boxer who faces a juiced-up opponent faces an increased likelihood of being seriously injured in what is already a dangerous sport. Maybe Charles Howe, who got KO'd in one round by Gilbert on Sept. 21, should get himself a lawyer . . .