WBC opens probe of Mosley after doping comments

The World Boxing Council is investigating former world champion Shane Mosley after reports his testimony to a BALCO grand jury includes a doping admission, the New York Daily News reported on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old American's sworn testimony in the BALCO steroid scandal, recently opened to public scrutiny by court officials, included confessing that he took performance-enhancing drugs before a 2003 fight with Oscar de la Hoya.

"It was a real surprise to read that Mosley has confessed that he did take those medicines, those drugs that are totally prohibited by the WBC," WBC president Jose Sulaiman told the newspaper.

"WBC rules state that we must have a hearing. This is a matter of serious concern to us."

Mosley, 45-5 with 38 knockouts, is set to fight Mexico's Antonio Margarito, the World Boxing Association welterweight champion who is 37-5 with 27 knockouts, next month at Las Vegas.

Mosley, who most recently knocked out Nicaraguan Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th round in September, won a unanimous decision over de la Hoya in 2003 for the WBA and WBC light middleweight crown, winning 115-113 on each judge's card.

Mosley then told a BALCO grand jury later that year he used steroids and EPO in training.

While he normally could expect grand jury testimony to remain private and would face perjury charges if caught lying, Mosley was undone after so much of the testimony was revealed by newspapers over the past few years, including Mosley's admission by the News. US baseball all-time home run king Barry Bonds and athletics stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery are among the sports stars whose glory was tarnished by links to BALCO.

Mosley has insisted he did not know the drugs he took were illegal, a similar case to that made by Bonds, who is scheduled to stand trial on perjury and obstruction of justice charges in March.

Sulaiman has asked WBC lawyers to gather evidence in the matter and present details of his investigation to WBC officials, who could disqualify or fine Mosley even this long after the bout.

"Thus far, the WBC has seen only press reports and must therefore investigate any available evidence and review it, in terms of the WBC rules and regulations' anti-doping provisions," said WBC legal counsel Robert Lenhardt.

Mosley has filed a defamation lawsuit against BALCO founder Victor Conte, who has told newspapers he watched Mosley knowingly inject himself with EPO. A hearing in the case is set for January.

NEW YORK, Wednesday (AFP)