Clean Record or Caught Out?
So, Jaime Munguia has failed a drug test. Specifically, his A-sample came back positive for exogenous testosterone metabolites following his May 3 victory over Bruno Surace. His team were quick to push back, highlighting that Munguia has passed over 100 tests during his career and has “never previously tested positive.” But here’s the thing: that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s clean now.
This situation is frustratingly familiar. In boxing, a clean track record isn’t the same as proof of innocence. You can pass 100 tests and still get caught on the 101st – or dodge detection entirely. Just ask Lance Armstrong. He passed every test during his cycling career… until the truth came out and the entire sport was rocked.
Now, to be crystal clear, I’m not saying Munguia is guilty. But boxing has a drug problem – and fans are right to be sceptical.
👉 Read more on boxing’s wider drug problem
The Trouble with Trust
It’s not just about what’s in a fighter’s system. It’s about trust – in the sport, in the officials, and in what we’re actually watching. Every failed test chips away at boxing’s credibility. The excuse of “I’ve never tested positive before” doesn’t hold much weight anymore. It might once have meant something. These days, it just reminds us how flawed the testing system can be.
Take Conor Benn, for example. He spent nearly two years out of action, accused of doping, only to be cleared in the end. It turned into a circus. And during that whole saga, opinions were split – some saw him as a victim of a broken system, others weren’t convinced by the explanation.
👉 Claressa Shields also found herself suspended over marijuana use – another case where the lines between enforcement and fairness got blurry.
So where does that leave Munguia?
A Career Under a Cloud?
Until the B-sample is tested and we get more clarity, Munguia’s win over Surace is now tainted. That’s just how it goes. If it turns out the result stands, some fans won’t forget. If the test is overturned, others won’t care – the seed of doubt has already been planted.
And this is the bigger issue: even when a fighter is later proven innocent, the damage is already done. The headlines scream FAILED DRUG TEST in big bold letters. The retractions? They’re buried halfway down a website no one reads.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The whole situation is messy. Munguia might be completely innocent. He might not. But this is what happens when boxing doesn’t have a unified, transparent approach to anti-doping. Different commissions. Different protocols. Conflicting punishments. It’s a shambles, and until that changes, every failed test – no matter how it ends – will drag the sport’s name through the mud.
Let’s Hear Your Thoughts
Do you think Jaime Munguia knowingly took something? Should fighters be suspended the moment a test comes back positive? Or should we wait for all the facts?
Drop your comments below, share this post with your mates, and check out more fight news and opinion pieces over on CMBoxing.co.uk. Let’s keep the conversation going — and keep the pressure on boxing to clean up its act.