by David P. Greisman

The team of heavyweight Luis Ortiz has provided BoxingScene.com with a statement following the news that broke earlier this afternoon, in which ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported that Ortiz had come up positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in testing done for his Sept. 11 first-round stoppage win over Lateef Kayode.

The bout was for the World Boxing Association’s “interim” heavyweight title, though the sanctioning body also has a “regular” titleholder in Ruslan Chagaev and a “super champion” in Wladimir Klitschko

In offering a rebuttal, Ortiz’s team also attached a comical form of “proof” — a test for anabolic steroids performed on Oct. 7, nearly a month after the bout took place and long after any banned substances could’ve cycled out of his system. The test was performed by a LabCorp location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The statement was forward to BoxingScene by Reynaldo Sanchez, an Ortiz team member who apparently doubles as a boxing writer who has penned articles on Ortiz and other boxers for multiple websites, including this one.

"We are in communication with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on this matter," the statement said in part. "On Oct-07 Luis Ortiz make at LabCorp analysis which indicates that Ortiz NO tested positive for steroids."

“Luis Ortiz [is] even willing to get tested on a Lie Detector to clear his image as a clean athlete," the statement said. "Luis Ortiz does not need to use stimulants to win his fights."

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