Alycia Baumgardner Positive Banned Substance Test Unveiled
Suddenly, there is turmoil in the career of reigning women’s undisputed junior lightweight champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs). She has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, her title reign could be in jeopardy.
Baumgardner announced her positive test for Mesterolone and Methenolone on July 12, three days before her July 15 rematch win over Christina Linardatou. Baumgardner’s promoter, Matchroom, has confirmed the news about the positive drug test. The undisputed champion released a statement on social media maintaining her innocence.
DISTURBING DISCOVERY
The Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) received Baumgardner’s “A” sample on July 21. Baumgardner’s test results were returned on August 10.
Mesterolone is an anabolic steroid that enhances muscle and is used to treat those with low testosterone levels. The reaction is coming in quickly from fans on boxing message boards who find it disturbing that Baumgardner tested positive three days before the fight with Linardatou, yet she was still allowed to fight.
A HIT TO HER REPUTATION
Baumgardner has had a meteoric rise in the sport. She captured the WBC 130-pound title with a fourth-round stoppage over Terri Harper in November 2021. In October 2022, the resident of Detroit, Michigan became a unified champion with a split-decision win over bitter rival Mikaela Mayer. Baumgardner became the undisputed junior lightweight champion in February 2023 after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Elhem Mekhaled.
The 29-year-old is one of the faces of women’s boxing. With multiple endorsement deals, she’s making a name outside of boxing and is on the verge of becoming a mainstream attraction.
All four major sanctioning bodies have been made aware of the situation. As of this writing, it’s not known whether Baumgardner will be stripped of the titles or face a suspension. This is a developing story, so stay tuned to 3kingsboxing.com for any additional updates.
