Sena Agbeko says he suspects that WBA ‘common’ tremendous middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. was utilizing some sort of performance-enhancing drug final Saturday night time with second spherical knockout win at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Agbeko (28-3, 22 KOs) admits that he doesn’t know for a incontrovertible fact that Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) was utilizing PEDs, however he sees one thing odd in regards to the absence of drug testing for the struggle, despite the fact that he’d signed a doc for WADA to check and it didn’t occur
Lacking drug testing
The 31-year-old Agbeko says that Morrell didn’t need to struggle in Las Vegas, however selected Minnesota, the place he says there’s no drug testing finished, and he feels that’s a suspect transfer. He feels this can be a pink flag about one thing happening.
Agbeko appeared overmatched, too small, too weak, and never exhibiting the form of expertise that will have given him an opportunity of profitable in opposition to Morrell.
Agbeko bitter grapes or reliable concern?
“I used to be bummed in regards to the stoppage, I believed it was a bit of too fast, however then after rewatching the video, I believed the referee made the fitting resolution,” mentioned Sena Agbeko to Fighthype, speaking about his second spherical blowout loss to WBA ‘common tremendous middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. final Saturday night time.
“We each signed a doc to be drug examined by WADA, and none of that occurred. There was no testing by the Fee earlier than or after the struggle. They explicitly acknowledged that the Fee wasn’t required to do the testing, and so they selected to not do any testing for this struggle,” Agbeko continued.
Followers clearly will see this as a state of affairs with a fighter unable to take care of the loss and developing with something to try to make sense of the devastating loss. Abgeko’s complaining with out proof will appear to be a traditional instance of fighter unable to take care of shedding badly in competitors.
“I believe there’s one thing up in that regard. He was the higher man tonight. I simply want I had extra rounds to showcase my ability and present that I belong on the world degree,” mentioned Agbeko. “I’ll bounce again. I’ll contemplate a attainable transfer to 160 as a result of these guys are enormous at 168. Him [Morrell] and Benavidez. So, I believe it’s solely proper that I contemplate a smaller weight class.”
It’s not a shock that Agbeko was blown out by Morrell, as he’d solely fought one notable fighter throughout his profession, Vladimir Shishkin in 2021, and misplaced a lopsided ten spherical unanimous resolution by the scores 100-90, 100-90, and 98-92.
That struggle confirmed that Agbeko wouldn’t be on top of things in opposition to a expertise like Morrell. The Cuban crush would have been higher off preventing Shishin than Agbeko, and it’s unclear why he was even chosen for this occasion.
“I could make 160 straightforward, however I selected to remain at 168. I’m fairly certain that’s the path I need to go,” mentioned Agbeko. “Go down a weight class or perhaps even two; who is aware of? So there, I’ll be capable to showcase my energy and showcase my expertise.”
Agbeko ought to in all probability go right down to 154, as there are too many proficient fighters within the 160-lb division that will feast on him in the same method that Morrell did.
They probably wouldn’t beat him as badly, however he could be overmatched nonetheless as a result of he’s too robotic and doesn’t look as expert as a few of the fighters that exist on the high of the middleweight division.
“He’s a really sturdy fighter,” mentioned Agebeko when requested about Morrell. “I’ve loads of respect for him. He’s very sound. Technically, he’s superb at going again and coming ahead. He was very affected person tonight. My greatest difficulty with him as a fighter was the drug testing, and I imagine there’s one thing happening with that staff,” mentioned Agbeko.
Morrell selecting Minnesota
“The necessity to have me come right here and struggle in Minnesota. They averted preventing me in Vegas, however they had been joyful to struggle me in Minnesota, the place there’s no drug testing. It’s not that I might have had any technique of dishonest, however come on,” mentioned Agbeko, muddying the water after his loss to Morrell.
It’s straightforward to know why Morrell would need to struggle in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as that’s his adopted hometown, the place he lives and it’s the placement for six of his ten skilled fights throughout his four-year skilled profession.
Morrell has been preventing in that metropolis from day one, and it wasn’t a particular case of him all of a sudden deciding on Minnesota to struggle for the Agbeko conflict. His fanbase is in Minneapolis, so it is smart that he would need to struggle there.
“You make me signal a contract for WADA testing, after which there’s no testing in anyway. So, it feels prefer it was a setup. Completely, 100%, I believe he’s on one thing as a result of within the struggle in April [against Yamaguchi Falcao], we noticed loads of zits on his face and on his again, and I undoubtedly suppose he’s on one thing,” mentioned Agbeko.
“He’s huge, he’s sturdy. It’s extra round making me suppose they’re going to check, after which they don’t take a look at as a result of they need to give themselves that benefit. So okay, you probably have nothing to cover, why are you refusing the take a look at?
“It was undoubtedly shocking,” mentioned Agbeko on the ability of Morrell. “The shot that I acquired caught with. After I was watching the interview, I acquired caught with a shot proper on the high of my head. That’s what began every part.
“Then I discovered myself within the nook after which he adopted up with a few extra punches. It was his typical barrage, however that first one just about acquired me good, which, on the time, I didn’t acknowledge. He has good energy, however all of that’s negated when your drug testing is in query, and that’s what I need critically checked out,” mentioned Agbeko.
With none concrete proof of Morrell utilizing PEDs, there’s not a lot Agbeko can do, however take care of the defeat and try to enhance transferring ahead. When it comes to the struggle, Agbeko was misplaced the second the struggle began, and was getting hammered at will by Morrell in components of the ring.
Agbeko didn’t have the technical expertise to match up with Morrell, and getting knocked off steadiness by his exhausting pictures. He didn’t appear to be he belonged in the identical ring with this caliber of fighter, and would have been higher off preventing a lower-level man from the underside tier.
Lack of proof
“He brings individuals right here in Minnesota, and there’s no drug testing, and presently, there’s a lawsuit in opposition to him by Mario Abel Cazares in opposition to him and his staff,” Agbeko mentioned. “He’s suing everyone else about the truth that when he got here right here to struggle him, there was no drug testing. They made him suppose there was going to be drug testing. There was no drug testing.
“So, there’s an enormous risk that he may have gotten away with no matter they wished to load up their system with, and it’s not honest as an athlete. We work so exhausting, make investments ten hundreds of {dollars} to prepare for these fights, just for any individual to work half as exhausting after which use steroids or no matter PEDs there are to have an unfair benefit,” mentioned Agbeko.
It will be a disgrace if Morrell’s victory is now tainted resulting from Agbeko’s complaints in regards to the lack of drug testing and his suspicions of potential foul play. Clearly, he’s upset in shedding the struggle, and a few would say he’s greedy at straws in an effort to make sense of his failure.
“I’m not saying that he’s used PEDs, however the truth that there was no testing and so they led us to imagine that there could be testing creates suspicion,” mentioned Agbeko.
Morrell hasn’t mentioned something but about Agbeko’s accusations, nevertheless it’ll be attention-grabbing to listen to what he and his administration say in regards to the defeated fighter’s considerations in regards to the lack of drug testing finished for the struggle.
