Gilbert hearing is today

Reno middleweight Joey Gilbert is expected to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission today and ask it to grant him a continuance in his disciplinary hearing for testing positive for six banned substances following his one-round knockout of Charles Howe Sept. 21 at Reno Events Center.

The hearing will be held at the Reno City Council Chamber office at 9 a.m. Three of the five NSAC commissioners will be present and two others will participate via telephone from Las Vegas.

Keith Kizer, executive director for the NSAC, said Gilbert, currently under temporary suspension, tested positive for amphetamine and negative for methamphetamine in a recent test of the B sample of his post-fight urinalysis conducted by the Center for Human Toxicology at the University of Utah.

Kizer said he couldn't account for the inconsistencies in the results.

"If we can't figure out why the results are different, any discrepancy goes in favor of the fighter," he said. "If it's a tie, it goes to the fighter. We like to be a fighter-friendly commission. But we still have a positive for amphetamine.

"As far as boxing goes, our concern is for the health and safety of the fighters. (Amphetamine) can lead to a cardiovascular problem. It's an unfair advantage, it gives the fighter added energy and it helps him cut weight. A positive for amphetamine or methamphetamine is the same to us. Gilbert tested positive for six drugs - in the best case five, including amphetamine. I'm not sure if it (the negative test) changes anything."

Kizer said the results of the test arrived late Tuesday, after Dr. Robert Kelly - one of two forensic toxicologists hired by Gilbert - had received them. Kizer authorized the tests in an Oct. 29 letter to Dr. David Andrenyak, assistant director for the Center for Human Toxicology, and requested to receive the copies first.

The results on the B sample of the steroid - Stanozolol metabolite (formerly Winstrol) - are still pending.

Quest Diagnostics conducted the original testing of Gilbert's pre-and post-fight urinalyses, which tested positive for Stanozolol metabolite, methamphetamine, amphetamine, noriazepam, oxazepam and temazepam.

This is the second consecutive time that Gilbert has tested positive for amphetamine, noriazepam, oxazepam and temazepam. He was warned not to take the drugs again before a fight following his May 12 stoppage of Juan Astorga at Reno Events Center.

Kizer said Gilbert admitted to taking Xanax - which breaks down to noriazepam, oxazepam and temazepam - three days before his bout with Howe and therefore would not contest the results on those three drugs.

Gilbert has also admitted to taking the stimulant Addarall, which Kizer said could possibly account for the positive result on the amphetamine.

Kizer said the commission would likely grant the continuance and would hold a hearing in December. He also said the nature of the request was a bit strange in light of a previous request.

Gilbert's latest attorney, Jamie Cogburn of Henderson, requested in a Nov. 2 letter that the matter be placed on the commission's Nov.14 calendar (which was moved back to Nov. 15) "so Mr. Gilbert can put this matter behind him and serve his suspension."

"Normally we don't care - take two months if you want," Kizer said. "He's already on temporary suspension. But he chose to wait to the last second (Nov. 13) to ask for the continuance. He didn't have the results of the test then."

Kizer said the commission had the choice of holding a hearing in Las Vegas or Reno.

"He needs to show up in Reno, where the fight happened," Kizer said. "If the nature of the charges are true, it hurts Reno boxing. It's only fair to the community, the media and the citizens that want to go and watch the hearing or support their idol."

The hearing is open to the public. It will be held on the first floor of the Reno City Council Chamber office, located at 1 E. First Street.