By George Shunick
Alistair Overeem has plenty of haters out there. Haters saying stuff like “He’s a cheat,” or “He uses steroids,” or “All of his recent accomplishments are tainted because his entire heavyweight career is a byproduct of unnatural chemical enhancements.” Also “Leave the horses alone!”, though that’s just PETA, and they hate on everyone so they don’t really count. Well, Alistair Overeem has something to tell all the haters (except PETA) out there: he’s clean.
That’s right, let’s cease all this hurtful speculation; Alistair Overeem is without a doubt, 100% clean. Never did steroids, never will do them. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about. That time he tested positive for his then-upcoming fight with Junior Dos Santos with a 14:1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio? That was the fault of a completely reliable and not at all sketchy doctor who injected testosterone into Overeem — without his knowledge! — which is totally standard for anti-inflammatory injections. I don’t see how anyone would need a more satisfying explanation than that.
But despite these facts, not to mention Overeem’s sterling reputation, some people out there still dare to doubt his claims. They say things like because his drug test was “self-administered,” it somehow devalues the authenticity of the results. That because he got to choose the time his test took place, where it was taken, the methods used, and the doctors who did it, Overeem has circumvented every single qualification that makes a drug test a test. I’m sorry, but that’s just nonsense! I’m not sure how we got to be so cynical, but there’s no reason not to take an athlete at his word when he says he’s never done performance enhancing drugs.
So next time, think before you hate. You’re talking about a man who worked very hard to build — literally, build — himself and his career from scratch. And horse meat. And to try to taint that career through speculation, innuendo, common sense, logic, and a failed drug test is nothing short of irresponsible on your part. And once these results come back, you’ll have no choice but to admit Alistair Overeem is clean.
Unless he actually manages to fail his own test.