Fix The Record: “Sugar” Shane Mosley Admits To Doping Before 2003 Oscar De La Hoya Fight

Though he faces Manny Pacquiao on Friday, Oscar De La Hoya may have already won a fight this week, at least in the eyes of fans.
This morning it was revealed that, before his 2003 fight with De La Hoya, “Sugar” Shane Mosley injected himself with EPO, a doping agent that increases the oxygen levels in one’s red blood cells. The revelation comes following the released of previously sealed grand jury testimony from the BALCO steroids trial, which has ensnared so many athletes to this point.
De La Hoya lost that 2003 fight. Does anyone think we should keep counting it against him?

The transcript of the boxer’s testimony was part of a BALCO file that was under a protective order before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston decided last Wednesday to allow prosecutors to share thousands of documents with Barry Bonds’ lawyers.

Mosley has acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs but has denied knowing the drugs were banned or illegal. His attorney, Judd Burstein, told the newspaper the testimony is consistent with what his client has said publicly.

“I am very relieved that this grand jury testimony has been released because it confirms that Shane has consistently recounted his dealings with [Victor] Conte from 2003 to today,” Burstein said in a story posted on the paper’s Web site Tuesday night.

Let’s take “Sugar” at his word. He admitted that he used EPO before the fight, but had no idea it was illegal. Fine. We can’t read his mind, and he’s stuck to that story for quite some time now, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’s telling the truth.
He still had a performance edge on De La Hoya, and when critics bring up Oscar’s flaws they often point to his two losses to Moley as proof that he could never win the big fight. Now that we know Mosley cheated, at least in 2003, shouldn’t we stop using those two losses, or at least the one, against Oscar? With a simple opening of a court document, we think De La Hoya’s legacy has been dramatically altered and improved, much to the detriment of “Sugar” Shane.
Mosley testifies to EPO use before fighting De La Hoya [ESPN]
Image [UFC Fight]