Less than a month after Fabio “Stone Crusher” Turchi edged Latvia’s Milans “Big Bad Wolf” Volkovs for the vacant WBO Global cruiserweight title in Piazza Santa Croce, the verdict that already looked shaky could now be completely illegitimate.
Italian media outlets confirmed over the weekend that the hometown fighter failed a post‑fight anti‑doping test administered under the authority of NADO Italia. According to the first reports, the A‑sample contained metabolites of drostanolone, a potent anabolic‑androgenic steroid. The National Anti‑Doping Tribunal (TNA) issued an immediate provisional suspension on 2nd of July.
Speaking exclusively to SlotsFighter, Milans delivered an assessment:
“On Saturday evening I was catching up on the news when I got a message from the father of one of my former opponents, Oronzo Birardi. He told me that the Italian press had just revealed that Fabio’s doping test had come back positive.
This isn’t the first time he’s been caught doping. He was already out of the ring for nearly a year because of a prior suspension. Fabio appealed and the appeal was accepted, but the other side appealed in turn, so the decision to re-examine the faulty test was thrown out. Now he’s been caught with potent steroids, and I don’t see how he can justify it — especially given his record.
My team and our lawyer are drafting a statement to the WBO. First, we’re asking them to review the bout. Second, we’re pointing out that there were no neutral judges. Third, there were no doctors at ringside. Fabio had a broken facial bone after the fourth round, and there was no medical staff to examine him. The officials told us that in the case of a serious injury we would have just had to go straight to the hospital. We’ll start sorting all this out today.
A week after the fight I was still battling with myself. It felt like unfinished business. But it seems that everything is unfolding the way it’s meant to.”
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So, how did we get here?
- On 8th of June, Turchi narrowly out‑pointed Volkovs in front of 7,000 Florentines. All three judges turned in cards of 97–93, 97–93 and 97–94.
- Volkovs’ camp immediately cited two home judges on the panel — but took no loud action.
- Turchi already tested positive in June of 2022 for SARMs Ligandrol (LGD‑4033) and Cardarine (GW‑1516) after his fight with Richard Riakporhe. He served a precautionary suspension before being cleared in January of 2023 on grounds of lab uncertainty, yet remained inactive for almost eleven months.
What the WBO can — and cannot — do
Volkovs’ appeal will land on the desk of WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista‑Salas. Under Article 19 of the WBO Regulations, the body may:
- Convene an independent panel to rescore the bout;
- Recommend — but not enforce — that a local commission overturn the verdict;
- Mandate a rematch or declare the title vacant if a fighter is suspended for doping.
Italian authorities could void the result. BoxRec policy mirrors that stance, updating records once national commissions issue final rulings. The WBO is almost certain to strip Turchi pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings, setting up Volkovs for a vacant title shot. A first offence for drostanolone normally carries a two‑year ban. Because Turchi already served an eight‑month penalty prior, prosecutors may push for the full term.u; ņemot vērā iepriekšējo 8 mēnešu sodu, prokurori var pieprasīt arī maksimālo termiņu.
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