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Report: Mayweather took banned IV injection before Pacquiao fight


Floyd Mayweather took an intravenous injection that was banned under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines before his fight with Manny Pacquiao, a United States media report said on Wednesday.
 
Thomas Hauser of SB Nation wrote that the unbeaten pound-for-pound king received an intravenous injection of saline and vitamins on the eve of the mega-fight, which broke financial records for the sport.
 
Although the substances were not banned by WADA, its rules do not allow IV injections of more than 50 mL per six hours "except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures, or clinical investigations." As per WADA
 
WADA rules do not allow intravenous infusions 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 says IV infusions can be used to "dilute or mask the presence of another substance."
 
Mayweather reportedly received an exemption from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) three weeks after the fight. 
 
But Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Bob Bennett said the agency, which claims to follow WADA guidelines, was not authorized to grant the exemption. USADA did not notify the NSAC and Pacquiao promoter Top Rank about the incident until May 21, some 20 days after the fight.
 
It was later revealed that the Mayweather camp did not apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the IV injection until May 19. It was granted by USADA on May 20.
 
"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 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," Bennett told Hauser.
 
Curiously, Pacquiao was disallowed from using anti-inflammatory shots to his shoulder before the fight by the NSAC. —JST, GMA News
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