Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
Heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo has spoken to World Boxing News today after being handed a four-year ban for admitting numerous doping offences in his four-year boxing career.
The 33 year-old, who won ten of thirteen professional contests, scoring nine stoppages, was given the sentence by the World Anti-Doping Agency and is now facing up to a lengthy spell out the game, with his previous achievements wiped from the record books.
Larry, from Hackney, was in apologetic mood when speaking with me today and promised to return to the sport re-invigorated upon serving the ban handed down to him by WADA earlier this week.
“First of all, I would like to apologise to the boxing fans for my actions throughout my career. I have always enjoyed interacting with them through forums and in person and the last thing I wanted to do was let them down,” Olubamiwo told World Boxing News.
“They know I won’t hide away and I am sure they appreciate and understand my reasons for doing what I did. And although I am not justifying my actions in any way, I had to make money and the mind-frame I was in at the time dictated my actions.
“In the past I saw idols of mine being found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs, the likes of Shane Mosley, Evander Holyfield and James Toney (twice) and upon seeing the punishments they were handed, I thought that I could do the same and be unlikely to get caught or receive the same punishment.
“I am not going to be bitter about it though and hopefully the fans will appreciate my honesty. I am not using it as an excuse and I have not named anyone from the sport that I know has used or uses drugs. I want the sport clean as much as anyone and was just doing what I had considered to be done by all the superstars.
“Once again, I would like say sorry to the fans and want to tell them that I will accept my punishment and I will be back boxing again once I have served by ban.
“I just hope they understand my reasons for doing what I did and can forgive me in time.”
WBN Editor
‘War Machine’ talks candidly today
Heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo has spoken to World Boxing News today after being handed a four-year ban for admitting numerous doping offences in his four-year boxing career.
The 33 year-old, who won ten of thirteen professional contests, scoring nine stoppages, was given the sentence by the World Anti-Doping Agency and is now facing up to a lengthy spell out the game, with his previous achievements wiped from the record books.
Larry, from Hackney, was in apologetic mood when speaking with me today and promised to return to the sport re-invigorated upon serving the ban handed down to him by WADA earlier this week.
“First of all, I would like to apologise to the boxing fans for my actions throughout my career. I have always enjoyed interacting with them through forums and in person and the last thing I wanted to do was let them down,” Olubamiwo told World Boxing News.
“They know I won’t hide away and I am sure they appreciate and understand my reasons for doing what I did. And although I am not justifying my actions in any way, I had to make money and the mind-frame I was in at the time dictated my actions.
“In the past I saw idols of mine being found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs, the likes of Shane Mosley, Evander Holyfield and James Toney (twice) and upon seeing the punishments they were handed, I thought that I could do the same and be unlikely to get caught or receive the same punishment.
“I am not going to be bitter about it though and hopefully the fans will appreciate my honesty. I am not using it as an excuse and I have not named anyone from the sport that I know has used or uses drugs. I want the sport clean as much as anyone and was just doing what I had considered to be done by all the superstars.
“Once again, I would like say sorry to the fans and want to tell them that I will accept my punishment and I will be back boxing again once I have served by ban.
“I just hope they understand my reasons for doing what I did and can forgive me in time.”