Mosley Takes Steps to Protect Image

While a cloud of suspicion continues to hover over Barry Bonds and several other high-profile athletes over alleged steroid use, Shane Mosley hopes he has taken steps that will dispel any such suspicion in his case.

With Mosley facing Winky Wright on Saturday at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center for the undisputed 154-pound title, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has on file a signed statement from Mosley and the results of a polygraph test in which he denies steroid use.

The suspicions arose when it became known that Mosley visited the Burlingame, Calif., office of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO. Last month, U.S. prosecutors announced a 42-count indictment naming BALCO founder Victor Conte and three others in an alleged conspiracy to distribute performance-enhancing drugs to dozens of athletes.

Mosley testified late last year in front of a federal grand jury investigating BALCO.

“In the summer of 2003, as I was training for my September 13, 2003, bout with Oscar De La Hoya,” wrote Mosley in his statement, “it was suggested to me by my conditioning coach [Darryl Hudson] that I purchase various vitamins and nutritional supplements from BALCO laboratories ... When BALCO was contacted by telephone, they advised that I should travel to BALCO’s offices so that blood work could be performed and a detailed plan for me could be prepared.”

Later in the statement, Mosley wrote, “A few days thereafter, I traveled to BALCO’s offices with my conditioning coach. This was the only trip I ever made to BALCO and the only time I ever spoke with Mr. Conte .... During this meeting, I specifically told him that I wanted to be sure that he would not give me anything that was illegal or banned. I did this for two reasons. First and foremost, I did not want to take anything that could do harm to me. Second, I was aware of the problems Fernando Vargas had after his fight with Oscar De La Hoya [when a steroid was detected in Vargas’ urine sample] and wanted to be 100% sure that I would not have similar problems. Mr. Conte assured us that everything he would send me was 100% legal and proper.

“I did not take anything with me when we left BALCO’s offices. Rather, a package was subsequently sent to my conditioning coach, who thereafter administered a variety of supplements to me.”

Mosley also took a polygraph test in which he said he visited the BALCO lab and told Conte he wanted only legal supplements. The last question on the polygraph test: “As of the date of the De La Hoya bout in September 2003, did you believe you had taken any illegal substances?”

Mosley’s answer: “No.”

William E. Kelly, who administered the test in October, concluded, “It is the opinion of the polygrapher, based on the polygraph charts, that no deception is indicated when Mr. Mosley answered these questions.”