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“The Real Victim in This Situation is Hanna”: Boxing Promoter Blames Hanna Gabriels’ Dog For Her Failed Drug Test

Published 05/26/2023, 4:10 PM EDT

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Claressa Shields, the undisputed middleweight champion was supposed to fight for the first time after five years in Detroit. She was going to defend her title against Hanna Gabriels, whom she has previously defeated via unanimous decision back in 2018. The fight was highly anticipated as Gabriels still stands as the only fighter to have knocked ‘GWOAT’ to the canvas.

A lot of fans were definitely interested to see if Gabriels will be able to have her revenge. However, in a rather disappointing manner, Gabriels was removed from the card. This happened after she tested positive for a banned substance. Recently, the Costa Rican boxer’s promoter has come out revealing the reason behind her failing the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test.

Lou DiBella blames Hanna Gabriels’ dog for the failed drug test

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Hanna Gabriel’s promotor, Lou DiBella, recently made a statement on Thursday after the orthodox boxer landed in trouble. He stated that the reason behind her positive drug result was that she had apparently applied medication to her dog. According to DiBella, Gabriels failed the VADA test on May 2 due to the presence of a drug named Clostebol in her system. Apparently, Clostebol was an ingredient in the medication used on her dog’s surgically repaired abdomen.

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Moreover, he said that the VADA tester informed her about the presence of the banned substance in the dog’s medication. Because of the warning, Gabriel had her husband apply the medication to the dog. Di Bella said, “I’m not blaming Claressa for this” after Gabriel got removed from the card. He shared his disappointment with the incident. He was understanding towards Claressa picking another opponent.

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DiBella feels sorry for “victim” Hanna Gabriels: Claressa Shields’ promoter reacts

DiBella felt very disappointed for Hanna. He said, “The real victim in this situation is Hanna”. He further added that Gabriels hasn’t had any big payday in more than 2 years. She is 40 years old which makes her being removed from the card much more devastating. She could have had a huge payday against Claressa Shields.

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Lou DiBella added how tragic this news is for Hanna “Her dog had major abdominal surgery”. This caused her to apply the medication, however, that is how it also got in her bloodstream. He claimed that as soon as she found out she should not touch the medication, she stopped.

Moreover, Claressa Shields’ promoter Dmitriy Salita has made it clear that he is not blaming Gabriels. He said that he is not judging whether the incident was accidental or not. He told BoxingScene.com that he is willing to accept that it was all an accident.

However, he pointed out that the banned substance in already in her body. And this gives her an unfair advantage over Shields. As such, she can no longer have a fair fight against Shields.

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What do you think of  Hanna Gabriels’ failed drug test? Deliberate or accidental? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports. He has authored over 300 articles and loves to talk about the animosity between athletes, leading up to a fight. His coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha