It is known by all that an undefined percentage of boxers suffers some drug addiction at some point in their career.
Many of them come from difficult origins and from days in which they had to struggle hungry to overcome challenging adversity.
The humble origin from which many fighters come is a trigger, plus a rapid and fleeting popularity and fame that provides everything imaginable.
Suddenly that young person who had nothing, has everything.
From one moment to another there are a lot of money, parties, “friends”, fame and glory. Among all this the enemy that lurks with stealth, waiting for the moment when the boxer feels invincible, namely the scourge of drugs.
In general, drug use starts for several reasons: The majority is that almost all this type of substance abuse produces intense sensations of pleasure.
This initial effect of euphoria is followed by others, which vary according to the type of drug consumed.
For example, with stimulants such as cocaine, the feeling of euphoria is almost always accompanied by feelings of power, self-confidence and greater energy.
Some others who suffer from anxiety or disorders related to stress and depression, begin to abuse drugs in an attempt to diminish feelings of anguish.
And of course in some cases to perform better, chemically increasing their cognitive abilities or physical performance.
Cases known as the great Julio César Chávez, Carlos Zárate, Mike Tyson, Hilario Zapata, Wilfredo Gómez, Alfonso Zamora, Sugar Ray Leonard, are examples of stars that reached the top and for various reasons were influenced in the wrong way. Furthermore, they were buying a false happiness.
The relationship between athletes and doping substances goes back a long way. It is there are some records even in Ancient Greece, in the Olympic Games of the third century BC. Some athletes resorted to certain mushrooms to increase their performance. That is according to with the Royal Academy terminology, which defines doping as: Administering drugs or stimulating substances TO ARTIFICIALLY ENHANCE the performance, sometimes, with danger to health.