WBC junior middleweight beltholder Saul Alvarez and challenger Shane Mosley have apparently agreed to be drug-tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in advance of their HBO Pay Per View-televised clash on May 5 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, according to Eric Gomez, matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions. 

“They’ve agreed to it, and it’s in the bout agreement,” said Gomez. “They’ve signed for it, so they have to do it.”

Alvarez-Mosley will take place on the under card of a main event featuring WBC welterweight titteholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. against WBA junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto.

Negotiations for megabouts between WBO welterweight beltholder Manny Pacquiao, who is promoted by Top Rank Inc., and Mayweather, who is handled by Golden Boy Promotions, have twice failed over Mayweather’s insistance on Olympic-style random drug testing.

Pacquiao has an ongoing lawsuit against Mayweather accusing him of defamation, asserting that the fighter has continued to insinuate publicly that Pacquiao’s success over eight weight classes is the result of having used performance-enhancing drugs.

But prior to his past two victories over Mosley in May and Victor Ortiz, in September, Mayweather required that his opponents undergo Olympic-style random drug testing of urine and blood that was conducted by United States Anti-Doping Agency.

“Canelo and Shane are following in the steps of Floyd Mayweather,” said Gomez. “They’re just trying to do the right thing and clean up the sport.”

The VADA organization’s president and founder is Dr. Margaret Goodman, a former ringside physician and Medical Advisory Board Chairman for the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

VADA was began to administer the random drug testing of blood and urine for the since-postponed rematch between Ortiz and Andre Berto. Goodman’s random drug testing follows the same protocols as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), only under more affordable conditions.

Goodman would not officially say that the deal with VADA is complete, although she did acknowledge being contacted by Alvarez and Mosley.

“Yes, VADA has been contacted regarding performing unannounced random PED testing for the May 5 bout between Shane Mosley-Saul Alvarez,” said Goodman. “But I’m unable to comment until everything has been submitted and finalized.”

In 2003, Mosley admitted that he injected the steroids, “the cream,” and, “the clear,” but says that he did so unknowingly after having been supplied the drugs by BALCO founder, Victor Conte, through a relationship with his former strength trainer, Daryl Hudson.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]