Australian fighter Imam Khataev has been “banned” from amateur competition for two years but The Ring has yet to report extensively on this matter ― despite the fighter being set to compete on a card they are set to host. The Ring and the NYSAC’s silence is just the latest in a series of patterns that denote the soft stance in boxing towards PED-use, with other fighters that tested positive PEDs having further been able to enjoy a complete lack of scrutiny and accountability for their doping violations in shows connected to both organizations.

The Ring has no compulsions towards doping use in boxing.

This was evident during The Ring’s award ceremony held earlier this year where Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KO’s), who was still serving a suspension for using the banned substance of Ostarine, were welcomed with open arms on the red carpet accompanying the ceremony.

Months later, Garcia would be featured in the second-ever fight card officially hosted by The Ring as the headlining act.

Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KO’s) is another fighter whose own past, based on his failed drug test for Clomiphene, was completely ignored as he became one of two fighters ― alongside Chris Eubank Jr. ― to feature in the main event of The Ring’s inaugural boxing show. Notably, Benn had only recently been “cleared” by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) for the intentional use of PEDs before he was announced to be headlining The Ring’s introductory fight card.

Following Australian light-heavyweight (175 lbs) contender Imam Khataev’s (10-0, 9 KO’s) ban by the International Testing Agency (ITA), it is the New York State Athletic Commission’s (NYSAC) complete silence that trumps The Ring’s reluctance to properly address Khataev’s failed test.

To The Ring’s credit, at least some form of substantiation was offered in an article released earlier this week that mostly covered Khataev’s upcoming July 12th opponent David Morrell.

The NYSAC, however, has only drawn more concerns regarding their inability to genuinely stave off and address the use of PEDs.

This first became thoroughly evident in the handling of Garcia’s PED case with the state commission never outright stating the fighter had intentionally used PEDs after failing to proof his innocence. By slamming Ryan Garcia with a one-year suspension without further substantiation on the fact Garcia knowingly committed a doping violation, the NYSAC already showed signs of apathy or laxness towards PED-use.

The NYSAC proceeded to have no qualms about Garcia’s failed drug test as the fighter went on to become the headlining act of The Ring’s second-held fight card on May 2nd ― a card held under their jurisdiction, just weeks after Garcia’s suspension was lifted on April 20th, 2025.

Khataev’s failed test from 2024 has not notably drawn a single statement from the NYSAC, despite him currently serving a two-year ban by the ITA. Though his ban does not appear to affect his status as a professional ― as the test was initiated by amateur governing body the International Boxing Association (IBA), the NYSAC does have the ability to make their stance on PED-use clear and enforce the ITA’s ban for Khataev’s upcoming contest.

Given Khataev was a professional at the time of the failed test, which was further administered out-of-competition, there is an actual precedent by any governing body to enforce this ban.

Yet the state athletic commission hasn’t breathed a word about Khataev who is clearly not barred from competing after making an appearance at the July 10th pre-fight press conference for the impending July 12th card set to be held at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

The NYSAC’s lack of action identifies itself as unfit to be regulating any boxing card for the foreseeable future, yet by conveniently remaining silent and refusing to commit to measures to prevent and penalize doping violations, they have sealed a standard for themselves of being unreliable and untrustworthy.

Though the ITA should have issued the ban on Imam Khataev last year rather than weeks before his July 12th fight, it is nonetheless a significant decision that should technically trickle through into the professional ranks given Khataev was tested out-of-competition and was a professional at the time.

But clearly, both The Ring and the NYSAC do not care, freely contributing to the overall glaring reality of boxing being a cesspool for corruption and incompetence that continues to reign unopposed and unfiltered.