By TIM SMITH
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
LAS VEGAS - James Toney's reign as WBA heavyweight champion came to an end after only 11 days when his 12-round victory over John Ruiz at Madison Square Garden on April 30 was overturned by the New York State Athletic Commission because Toney tested positive for a banned substance.

Toney was also suspended for 90 days and fined $10,000. The WBA will strip him of the title and give it back to Ruiz, who becomes a three-time heavyweight champion by default.

Toney's promoter, Dan Goossen, said there would be no appeal.

Ron Scott Stevens, the chairman of the NYSAC, would not identify the illegal substance that resulted in the positive test, but Goossen released a statement that acknowledged it was the steroid nandrolone.

In the statement, Toney denied ever using an illegal substance and offered his 233-pound pudgy body in the bout as the key piece of evidence of his innocence.

"Being accused of taking performance-enhancing substances is an insult to me. I don't do drugs period," Toney said.

Goossen offered that Toney had received prescription drugs from a doctor for treatment of torn biceps and triceps muscles resulting from a match against Rydell Booker in September.

Anthony Cardinale, Ruiz's attorney, said they had warned Stevens to look closely at the drug tests because of Toney's outrageous behavior at a March press conference.

(Published: May 13, 2005)