BY JAKE DONOVAN
November 1, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
One sanctioning body has called for additional action regarding Alycia Baumgardner’s months-long drug testing investigation.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the WBO has issued a ‘Show Cause’ letter to the undisputed junior lightweight queen regarding the events surrounding her July 15 win over Christina Linardatou in her adopted hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Baumgardner outpointed the former two-time WBO junior welterweight titlist but produced a positive drug test from a sample collected on July 12 as contracted through Drug Free Sport.
More than three months have passed by without any action taken by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission (MUCC), whose lead the others sanctioning bodies have been forced to follow. The WBO opted to take the lead to advance the matter as far as its rules will allow. “Ms. Baumgardner is hereby ordered to “Show Cause” within 30 days upon issuance of this notice as to why the WBO World Championship Committee shall not recommend… to declare the WBO Female Jr. Lightweight Championship “Vacant” and/or take any other action take any action [deemed] proper,” WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista-Salas stated to Baumgardner and her team in a ruling obtained by Boxing Scene. “Failure to comply with this order will result in this Committee proceeding accordingly and having Ms. Baumgardner waive all rights hereunder without any further hearing and/or citation.”
Baumgardner is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and advised by Keith Connolly, though she is currently handling the matter through her own legal team while also conducting a parallel investigation. All parties were included on the WBO notification, as well as Alex Dombroff, head of business and legal affairs for DiBella Entertainment, who promotes Linardatou; and Benjamin Parker, licensing director for the Michigan commission.
Failure to comply with the order will result in Baumgardner being relieved of her WBO title and facing up to a two-year banishment from participating in any WBO-sanctioned bout. The matter was first presented to the WBO on October 12 during the ratings portion of its annual convention which was held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Dombroff expressed concern over the lack of movement in the investigation, which he argued its direct impact in Baumgardner’s inability to defend her championship during that time.
Baumgardner (15-1, 7KOs) was placed under suspension by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) while the MUCC allegedly conducted its investigation. However, no communication has been made by anyone among Michigan’s commission since September 1, the point when Linda Douglas resigned from her position as the commission’s Athletic Coordinator and longtime point of contact for promoters. “DBE literally has no contact within the MUCC with any authority and no resource for information beyond a blind hope that a FOIA request will return eventually relevant information,” noted Dombroff to the ABC in an official appeal obtained by Boxing Scene. “This is no way for any commission to operate on any level, but particularly when dealing with an incident with the severity of a positive anti-doping test.
“DBE is left to only conclude that the MUCC is doing nothing to confront or adjudicate Baumgardner’s positive test, considering the time passed since the bout and the lack of any substantive action taken thus far by the MUCC. This would be unacceptable for any commission globally, but particularly a state commission member of the ABC.”
Dombroff pleaded with the WBO to take action, in hopes that it would free up the title. The sanctioning body denied the request, solely on the basis that it lacks the authority to strip a reigning champion without allowing due process to play out, and thus was at the mercy of the presiding commission.
It was agreed by all parties, however, that there existed the legal grounds to issue a Show Cause letter. The WBO was prepared to rule on the matter during the convention before it was argued by a member of Baumgardner’s immediate team that the undisputed champ reserved the right to review such matters before any action was taken.
Enough time has since passed to where the WBO felt it was time to advance the situation. “According to the foregoing report, a urine sample collected on July 12, 2023, by the referenced testing entity showed an adverse analytical finding of banned substances,” noted the ruling, citing Section 19 (‘Failure To Comply as Champion’) and 28 (‘Drug Testing’) of the WBO Regulations. “The substances in question were Mesterolone Metabolite and 3a-hydroxy-1a-mathyl-5a-androstan-17-one detected. The latter substances were confirmed as per the test report obtained by the WBO. Consequently, our intervention is warranted.”
Baumgardner has held at least one junior lightweight title since November 2021 when she dethroned then-unbeaten WBC champ Terri Harper via fourth-round knockout in Sheffield, England. Four overall title defenses have followed, including her IBF and WBO title winning decision over then-undefeated and unified titlist Mikaela Mayer last October 15 in London.
The undisputed run was completed by Baumgardner when she outpointed Elhem Mekhaled to claim the vacant WBA title on February 4 in New York City. The win over Linardatou marked her fourth successful title defense, though she runs the risk of the result being changed to a No-Contest should the Michigan commission uphold the drug testing results surrounding that event.
No such action was yet taken by the WBC, WBA or IBF.
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