The REASON so many boxers take PEDs? | Garcia x Benn - The Sports Agents

Larry Olubamiwo (0:02)

This is a Global Production. I knew back then, I was probably going to try PEDs. The PEDs was like, my thinking was, oh, that can help me be like a superhero.

Nedum Onuoha (0:11)

Do you feel like you are being judged?

Larry Olubamiwo (0:13)

To be honest, I don't really care.

Tris Dixon (0:14)

We've heard everything. People taking their wives' medication.

Larry Olubamiwo (0:17)

No athlete in any sport whatsoever is being tested weekly or daily. That's not happening.

Tris Dixon (0:23)

The Hall of Fame. You've got to think Don King's in there, and he's done some pretty heinous crimes. You think Mike Tyson's in there, he's done crimes away from boxing. What's the odd drug cheat here or there?

Larry Olubamiwo (0:33)

He made a statement saying, if you don't take it, you won't make it.

Tris Dixon (0:36)

There is no cancel culture in boxing.

Mark Dolan (0:38)

I've done documentaries on Lance Armstrong, and I know how many people were under pressure to follow his lead.

Larry Olubamiwo (0:46)

Boxing doesn't really care about the safety of the boxers.

Nedum Onuoha (0:49)

The majority of people are doing it. Is it cheating?

Mark Dolan (1:01)

Hello, welcome to The Sports Agents. Hi, Nedum.

Nedum Onuoha (1:04)

Hello, sir. How are you?

Mark Dolan (1:05)

I'm very well.

Nedum Onuoha (1:05)

I'm sorry I'm not Gabby, by the way. I know you only like to sit next to Gabby.

Mark Dolan (1:09)

Well, no. But what I do find is interesting is that when it's just me in the studio, you'll come in. Yes.

But when Gabby's in the studio with me, you don't come in. So I think I've worked out who your favorite is. And yes, I am that needy, number one, and number two. I know she'll listen to this episode.

Nedum Onuoha (1:29)

Hello, Gabby. Hope everything's going well, Gabby.

Mark Dolan (1:31)

Now who's sounding needy?

So there's a big fight happening in Vegas this weekend. It's brought the issue of drugs and sport back in to the spotlight. So on this show, we'll ask if the fight between Ryan Garcia and Britain's Conor Benn should be happening at all. But we're going to get a fighter's perspective.

PED use amongst fighters is a complex issue. So we're going to try and have the whole conversation today. There is a reason why many boxers take PEDs, and there are many reasons why people are very much against them. When Larry Olubamiwo was a British heavyweight contender, he was a boxer who made that choice. Larry, thank you very much for joining us. Your story is fascinating and relevant as we go into this weekend. And it's really the boxing side of things that it's really important that we focus on in your boxing career. But if you can, as sort of succinctly as possible, just explain how you arrived in the boxing world. Because that wasn't your sport as a kid, was it?

Larry Olubamiwo (2:36)

No, I was a sprinter, first and foremost. But I always used to box in the off-season to keep fit, because I always had a passion for it.

And what happened was, I think I've, you know, I've ripped my hamstring really badly. Happened again, just got tired of the rehab, and then just decided I was going to go into boxing, and happened from there, really.

Mark Dolan (3:00)

You're, and this is also relevant, I think, when we come on to the subject of performance enhancing drugs.

You got into sprinting because of? I've got to know that you saw Ben Johnson win the 100 meter Olympics in 1988

Larry Olubamiwo (3:16)

It's a little bit skewered, but I didn't get into sprinting because of him, because my uncle was an Olympic sprinter.

He competed in the 72 or 76th Olympics, I believe. Sprinter long jumper. But I greatly admired Ben Johnson, even to this day. I mean, I think he's the premier sprinter, if you look at everything that he can do, and did do, and everything he left on the table, especially in that 88 final, when he lifted up his hand in the air, like what, 15 meters from the line, and slowed down, he could have literally run what Usain Bolt ran how many years later.

Mark Dolan (3:57)

But you admire him still despite everything. I mean, God, honestly, I want to talk to the boxing, but we're already going off to add a different video.

Larry Olubamiwo (4:04)

Yeah, but you see, you're saying despite everything, but let's get, so let me give you an example to show you why what you're saying is very wrong.

When Usain Bolt was at the top of the game, out of the top 10 sprinters in the world, he was the only one that hadn't tested positive for PEDs. Then there's the actual 88 Olympics, the race we're talking about, where it's sometimes called, and I think it's a bit, it's called the dirtiest race in sport. I think there's other races that were a lot dirtier, but that just goes to tell you that it wasn't just Ben Johnson. So I think people need to pump the brakes when they bash him, you know?