HBO Sports plans to critically discuss Sugar Shane Mosley’s alleged use of performance enhancing drugs obtained from BALCO during the World Welterweight Championship on January 24, 2009. Mosley was implicated in the BALCO scandal prior to his September 2008 bout with Ricardo Mayorga.  HBO Sports completely avoided any mention of the doping charges during the bout. The lack of journalistic curiousity into these charges gave the appearance of intentional oversight by HBO motivated by financial arrangements with Shane Mosley. Ross Greenburg, the chief of HBO Sports, strongly denied that financial considerations were related to the omission. HBO is practically guaranteed to explore the Mosley-BALCO relationship during the Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito bout (”HBO won’t be so sweet on Sugar Shane Mosley during Antonio Margarito bout,” January 22).

Someone wondered if HBO’s oversight was financially motivated. Why risk doing future business with Mosley, and his representatives, by exposing millions of boxing fans to a controversy they may not even be familiar with?

“Look, I don’t give a damn about that (business relationships). I don’t care about that,” Greenburg said. “I don’t care about doing business with any of these guys (promoters) unless they understand we have a responsibility - journalistically - to the viewer.”

Greenburg’s words, and the tone in which he delivered them, means the story of Mosley and BALCO, will be in your face Saturday night on HBO as Sugar Shane attempts to take the welterweight crown from Antonio Margarito in Los Angeles.

Victor Conte, BALCO mastermind, has claimed that Sugar Shane Mosley used performance enhancing drugs while preparing for his 2003 rematch with Oscar de la Hoya. Mosley sued Conte for defamation claiming he thought the BALCO products were legal.

Mosley did not cooperate with HBO Sports for the piece and refused to sit down with producers for an interview about BALCO.