By Jake Donovan

For the second time in his career, 46-year old Antonio Tarver is forced to battle outside the ring in order to clear his name. It didn’t work out well the first time around, nor does a happy ending appear to be within reach upon reports of once again testing positive for a banned substance.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Chris Mannix

was the first to report the news of Tarver – a former light heavyweight champion - having tested positive for synthetic testosterone, coming from samples produced prior to his 12-round draw versus Steve Cunningham in August.

Random pre-fight testing was conducted by an agency independent of – but in accordance with = the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) prior to the bout, which aired live on Spike TV from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The August 14 telecast was best remembered for producing the leading candidate for 2015 Fight of the Year. That moment came in the televised co-feature, when Krzysztof Glowacki recovered from a 6th round knockdown to drop and stop long-reigning cruiserweight champion Marco Huck in the 11th round of an instant classic.

Nothing can be done to remove the shine from that fight. Unfortunately, the drug test results from the main event have the night remembered for a different reason – as well as reminding the boxing public that the industry remains plagued in its efforts to control performance enhancing drug (PED) use.

The “A” and “B” samples that produced the positive test came prior to the fight, however late enough into the promotion to where such findings weren’t discovered until well after the fight itself. This information was obtained by sources with knowledge of the situation.

Members from NJSACB declined comment altogether for legal and privacy reasons.

Tarver’s public relations team released a 112-word statement on Monday refuting the claims and has vowed to investigate the manner in the boxer’s greatest efforts to clear his name.

“I have no idea how my urine sample tested positive because I didn't take anything illegal,” Tarver said. "Either the test was contaminated, or mixed-up with another sample.”

Tarver (31-6-1-1NC, 22KOs) is the last remaining active fighter from the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing team, for which he captured a Bronze medal. The former distinction came upon the announced retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr., who insists his 12-round win over Andre Berto in September was the last of his incredible Hall-of-Fame career.

The latest test results put Tarver’s career in jeopardy considering his advanced age (he turns 47 in November). The former three-time light heavyweight champion has remained well-preserved through more 18 years in the pro ranks, though largely due to fighting so infrequently (39 pro fights, an average of barely two per year).

As is the case with any legal process, all parties are to be considered innocent until unequivocally proven guilty. However, Tarver’s past history as well as the testing process itself has many in the industry raising eyebrows as to his claiming the victim role in this latest development.

Should the current result stand, it will mark the second time in three years that the Florida-bred southpaw caught using a banned substance – both times with such fights ending in a draw.

Traces of Drostanolone (also known as Masteron) were found in testing samples surrounding his 12-round draw with Lateef Kayode in their June ’12 cruiserweight contest. The drug’s original intent was for breast cancer patients to inhibit estrogen production and is recommended for post-cycle use.

In terms of effectiveness among athletes, it has been to be used by bodybuilders during the “weight-cutting phase” of training. The substance is considered a better alternative to synthetic testosterone since its users do not retain as much water.

Tarver plead innocence, even pointing to his own physique – of which he was always in fighting shape prior to moving up to heavyweight, but never mistaken for a bodybuilder – in raising questions as to how he would benefit from steroid use. An appeal was filed, but Tarver – at the time an expert analyst for American cable giant Showtime – agreed that the best course of action was to not resume his role until his name was cleared.

That moment never came. Tarver was issued a modest fine but a lengthy suspension. Additionally, he was never brought back to the Showtime team or has since appeared on the network as a fighter, as well as losing out on his previously offered opportunity to serve as an in-studio boxing analyst during the 2012 London Olympics on NBC.

History could repeat itself, as Tarver presently serves an expert analyst (and a damn good one, at that) for Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike TV. It was a role he performed as recently as the October 16 telecast, though obviously not serving on the August 14 card on which he headlined.

Tarver rode out the suspension and resurfaced as a heavyweight in his Nov. ’13 ring return. A 4th round knockout of Mike Sheppard marked his first win in more than two years, but more questions than answers were raised as he showed up at a flabby 221 lbs.

Only three total fights have materialized in his comeback – the win over Sheppard, a 7th round knockout of Jonathan Banks last December (for which Tarver weighed a career heaviest 225 ¾ lbs.) and his aforementioned draw with Cunningham in August, where he weighed 217 lbs., his lightest of his three fights at heavyweight.

As the heavyweight division is essentially limitless at the scales, there is no need to use substances to help cut weight. With the test results revealing synthetic testosterone, the suggestion is that it was used to increase energy at a key point towards the end of training camp for the August 14 fight.

Naturally, Tarver refutes this claim and has already initiated the process to appeal said results.

“We believe in the process and I will fully comply,” Tarver noted through his public relations team. “Further analysis will prove I'm 100-percent innocent because I've done nothing wrong.”

The concern with seeking further analysis, however, is that both the “A” and “B” samples produced the same test results. When a fighter’s “A” sample comes back positive, the relevant parties are notified of such findings, as to either accept as-is or request the “B” sample to be tested in hopes of the first result proving to be a false-positive.

Given this, Tarver and his team were already made aware of such test results. From the “B” sample findings – as well as media reports leaking out beginning with the original breaking news on SI.com – came the process of also informing Cunningham and his team.

As both samples have been tested, Tarver faces an uphill climb in efforts to clear his name. Innocent until proven guilty is still applicable, but what remains to be seen is if he’s dealt the same fate as was the case in 2012. Scheduled to take place during the appeal process is a November 13 edition of PBC on Spike TV.

Representatives from the network as well as PBC have yet to make a decision or announcement as to his role on future broadcasts.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox