Right before his fight with Manny Pacquiao on May 2, Floyd Mayweather reportedly took an IV injection that was banned under World Anti-Doping Agency Guidelines.
The IV reportedly had a 250-milliliter mixture of saline and multivitamins and a 500-milliliter mixture of saline and Vitamin C. It was given to Mayweather for rehydration purposes after the weigh-in, according to SB Nation.
The report says that United States Anti-Doping Agency found out Mayweather used an IV after sending agents to his home to conduct an unannounced drug test the night before the fight.
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While the actual substances contained in the IV are not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the fact that they were given via IV is illegal. According to ESPN, WADA rules don’t allow IVs or injections of more than 50 milliliters per six hours “except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures, or clinical investigations.”
WADA bans such injections and IVs because they can be used to “dilute or mask the presence of another substance,” like performance-enhancing drugs.
Bob Bennett, the Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director, told SB Nation:
“The TUE for Mayweather’s IV — and the IV was administered at Floyd’s house, not in a medical facility, and wasn’t brought to our attention at the time — was totally unacceptable. I’ve made it clear to [USADA CEO] Travis Tygart that this should not happen again. We have the sole authority to grant any and all TUEs in the state of Nevada. USADA is a drug-testing agency. USADA should not be granting waivers and exemptions. Not in this state. We are less than pleased that USADA acted the way it did.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao’s fight was much delayed partly because of disagreements on drug-testing protocol. Mayweather accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, which resulted in a suit brought against Mayweather by Pacquiao. Mayweather paid Pacquiao an undisclosed seven-figure sum to settle the suit.
