Victor Conte was a complex man with a controversial past. People viewed him in very different lights. Some, like Devin Haney, who worked with him for years, admired and trusted him. Others, such as Ryan Garcia, were far less fond. Yet regardless of how people felt about him, Conte’s passing at the age of 75 seems to have brought many together in mourning, except, perhaps, Gervonta Davis.

Conte, the founder of BALCO, the California-based lab at the heart of a major PED scandal that implicated athletes like Shane Mosley, Barry Bonds, and Marion Jones, died on Monday. “Victor Conte has died at age 75, his family announced on social media,” Ring Magazine shared on X. “Conte revealed in June that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Many elite fighters have credited Conte with developing advanced recovery and conditioning methods under his SNAC System.”

Victor Conte and his controversial contribution to sports

The 75-year-old was born in Fresno, California, to a working-class Italian family. But his career didn’t begin with boxing. Believe it or not, Conte began his career as a bassist for the funk band ‘Tower of Power’ in the late 1970s. He appeared on their 1978 album ‘We Came to Play!’ and collaborated with jazz icon Herbie Hancock. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Conte, who was a self-taught nutrition enthusiast, decided to set his sights on sports science. 

In 1984, Conte co-founded BALCO with his first wife, Aubrey, initially as a vitamin shop in Millbrae, California, and later rebranded it as a sports nutrition center in Burlingame. Things moved quickly after that. The company gained notoriety for developing undetectable PEDs. There were mainly tetrahydrogestrinone, ‘The Clear,’ and a testosterone cream, ‘The Cream,’ in collaboration with chemist Patrick Arnold.

These substances fueled elite athletes, including MLB stars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, Olympic sprinter Marion Jones, boxer Shane Mosley, and NFL’s Bill Romanowski. A 2003 federal raid uncovered the operation, implicating dozens and exposing systemic doping in baseball’s ‘Steroid Era.’ After this, Conte pleaded guilty in 2005 to conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering and served four months in prison. 

Although BALCO shuttered, Conte reemerged with SNAC (Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning). He became an anti-doping advocate, advising boxers such as Terence Crawford, Claressa Shields, and Devin Haney through VADA testing programs, while critiquing PED loopholes. He was even featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary, Untold: Hall of Shame.

In a 2023 interview with ESPN, Conte acknowledged the pain he had caused but took pride in his work. “I made that decision to go down the slippery slope. It was a mistake,” Conte told ESPN. “I damaged a lot of people, especially my family, but the knowledge that I gained thereafter, and I was able to develop a relationship with [VADA founder] Dr. Margaret Goodman and [VADA vice president] Dr.”

With a reputation like that, people might not have loved him, but his death cast a veil over his controversial past. 

Gervonta Davis sways to a different tune amid tributes to Conte

Gervonta Davis took to social media to share an insensitive take on Conte’s death. “Good day in boxing..no more snack for you b—rds,” he wrote. Conte has worked with Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson, who are considered Davis’ major rivals.

While Davis appeared bitter, Devin Haney mourned Conte’s death. “RIP Victor Conte.. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,” he wrote on X. Conte especially supported Haney after Ryan Garcia popped for Ostarine last year after their fight. 

Meanwhile, boxing content creator Cynthia Conte praised Victor Conte for being himself. “THANK YOU, Uncle Victor, for being unapologetically yourself in sports, for your guidance, & always a phone call away. People forget you were a F**** BAD A— bassist for the legendary Tower of Power & Herbie Hancock. Rest in Peace, Uncle Victor,” she wrote. Despite having the same last name, the pair is unrelated. 

Journalist Mike Coppinger highlighted his importance in sports. “RIP to Victor Conte. No matter what you thought of him, he meant a lot to many top fighters and was an advocate for anti-doping measures in boxing, even paying for it for many of his fighters. Terence Crawford, Caleb Plant, and Devin Haney are among the boxers he worked with extensively. And Conte was a great resource, always there to provide insight on how PEDs work to aid fighters. We will miss him,” Coppinger wrote. The journalist, throughout his time at ESPN, covered several stories about Conte. 

Meanwhile, even Rick Glaser paid his respects. “SNAC founder Victor Conte passed away this morning from pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his loved ones at his home in the Bay Area. He was 75 years old. R.I.P. Victor Conte,” Glaser wrote. 

Victor Conte’s legacy in sports is undeniably complex, but his influence seems to have left a unique mark on everyone he encountered. Do you have any final words for Victor Conte?