Toney Won’t Dispute His Drug Test Result

James Toney, maintaining his innocence, said he would decline his right to a hearing before the New York State Athletic Commission to dispute the result of a drug test that revealed the presence of an illegal steroid in his system.

The test, administered after Toney’s victory over World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion John Ruiz on April 30, cost Toney the victory. Ron Scott Stevens, chairman of the commission, changed the result of the bout to a no-decision, suspended Toney for 90 days and fined him $10,000.

“I did nothing wrong,” Toney said. “I am not going to hide from anybody. I didn’t cheat. I would like to protest, but I am going to do what Dan wants to do.”

Dan Goossen, Toney’s promoter, maintains his fighter took a legal, cortisone-based steroid, pregnenolone, to speed healing after surgery on a torn bicep. The pregnenolone metabolized, according to Goossen, into the anabolic steroid nandrolone, the substance detected in Toney’s urine sample.

Dr. Robert Voy, a former director of sports medicine for the U.S. Olympic Committee, questioned whether such a transformation was possible.

According to WBA rules, the title must be transferred back to Ruiz and Toney is prohibited from fighting for the WBA championship for two years.

“I’m angry,” Toney said, “but I can’t do nothing about it.”

Goossen said Toney would pursue one of the other heavyweight titles but has no interest in a rematch with Ruiz.

“We already beat him,” Goossen said, “fair and square.”

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The World Boxing Council has formed a committee to investigate last week’s lightweight title fight between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo. Corrales won on a 10th- round TKO after being down twice himself in that round. He was penalized a point for deliberately spitting out his mouthpiece after each knockdown. The committee will investigate whether he was allowed too much time to recover.