Omar Nino-Romero became the first boxer in Nevada history to test positive for methamphetamine
and was suspended 9 months as well as being fined $18,750 on Monday for his offence.
This ruling means the Romero will not be able to fight in the USA during the term of his suspension.
Romero was fined 25% of his $75,000 purse and this came after his majority draw with Brian Viloria of Waipahu, Hawaii. At first this allowed him to keep his WBC light-flyweight title. The Nevada Athletic Commission also voided the majority draw and called the bout a no-decision.
Nino-Romero denied using this drug but he tested positive for it in his urine after the fight. Methamphetamine can help fighters lose weight and acts as a stimulant in the ring.
After this hearing Nino-Romero said: “I’m very, very sad at the decision, at what I went through,”
His boxing camp presented a clean hair sample test from a UCLA lab taken Jan. 31, but the commission ruled the hair was too short to be of use and would not have covered the time of the bout.
“I completely disregard and don’t give any weight to the Jan. 31 negative result,” commission member John Bailey said.
The WBC stripped Nino-Romero of his title earlier this month but said he would be the challenger to the new champion. Viloria, currently ranked first in the 108-pound class, will fight second-ranked Edgar Sosa of Mexico for the title
Nino-Romero (24-2-2) first won the title with a unanimous decision over Viloria of Waipahu, Hawaii, in August in Las Vegas.
I am sorry but I feel little sympathy for Nino-Romero. In fact I feel absolutely no sympathy for him at all. He has taken performance enhancing drugs. He is a cheat. He is a disgrace to boxing as a sport.
What is you opinion of Nino-Romero and this ruling?
