Report: Boxing Champion Alycia Baumgardner Tests Positive for Banned Steroid
August 16, 2023
Super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner is coming off her second defense of her undisputed titles last month, but she has reportedly landed in hot water.
According to boxing insider Dan Rafael, Baumgardner tested positive for the banned steroid Mesterolone in a urine test conducted on July 12, three days before she defeated Christina Linardatou by unanimous decision to retain her titles.
Baumgardner released a lengthy statement denying any wrongdoing, saying that she "never [has], never would and never will take this or any other drug." She noted that both her post-fight tests came back clean, making the result of the July 12 test "essentially impossible." She also indicated that she will actively fight against the notion that she knowingly took a banned substance, saying she has "no intention of sitting back in silence and letting this 'play out.'"
Linadartou's promoter Lou DiBella reacted to the news and confirmed that he was informed of "adverse PED findings" in Baumgardner's pre-fight tests:
Lou DiBella🥊 @loudibella... Michigan will not confirm anything to me and told me I would need to make a Freedom of Information Act request. I have not heard from the sanctioning bodies yet. PED testing in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boxing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#boxing</a> is a trip.
Linardatou (14-3, 6 KOs) is the only person to defeat Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) in her career, handing her a split decision loss in July 2018. After the loss, Baumgardner rattled off eight straight wins, including a split decision victory over Mikaela Mayer this past October and a unanimous decision win over Elhem Mekhaled in February to unify the super featherweight titles.
In the rematch against Linardatou, Baumgardner was booked as the main event of DAZN's fight card that took place on July 15 in Detroit at the Masonic Temple Detroit. She cruised to a unanimous decision victory, winning by scores of 98-92 on two scorecards and 99-91 on the other.
Earlier this month, Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene reported that the WBA ordered a mandatory fight between Baumgardner and former champion Hyun Mi Choi, who was named "Champion in Recess" after she filed for a medical exemption last fall. That decision caused the WBA title to be vacated, and Baumgardner claimed it in February with her win over Mekhaled. Choi (21-0-1, 5 KOs) is said to be fully recovered and thereby is first in line to challenge to reclaim her title.
It remains to be seen if facing Choi will remain the next step for Baumgardner following the revelation of her positive PED test.