Barry Bonds is an acclaimed Major League Baseball player, leaving behind an indelible mark in the history of the sport. Renowned for his outstanding career as an outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants, the seven-time National League MVP is now venturing into the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and seeks to master it.
Exciting news broke out from the Evolve Training Center in San Francisco, as they took to Instagram to announce the belt promotions of several students. Among them was none other than the MLB legend Barry Bonds. He received his blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from his coach, Jay Janero.
Fans of Barry Bonds were impressed by his decision to embark on this new path but some pointed out his past usage of PEDs.
Some of the comments were as follows:
“Bet he has a sick baseball bat choke…”
Regarding Bonds’ repeated PED charges, one user wrote: “Not sure why but I feel like he cheated…”
Another fan commented in reference to the widespread usage of PEDs in BJJ and wrote: “He was on PEDs in both sports.”
It is impossible to deny that Barry Bonds stands among the greatest athletes the world has ever witnessed. With a career home run record of 762 and a single-season record of 73 home runs in 2001, Bonds shattered major league records and solidified his status as a legend.
Despite his incredible accomplishments, Barry Bonds faced controversies surrounding allegations of PED use. Bonds was never honored by the MLB Hall of Fame because of his involvement with PEDs.
In 2003, Bonds became embroiled in a legal matter involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO). It is a laboratory known for marketing a PED anabolic that was imperceptible to tests.
During the investigation into BALCO’s distribution of the undetectable steroid, Bonds faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors claimed that he lied under oath during his 2003 grand jury testimony by denying his use of PEDs and providing evasive answers.
Suspicion surrounded Bonds due to his close ties to his trainer Greg Anderson, who was associated with BALCO and accused of providing steroids to athletes. Later in 2015, the conviction was overturned.
For those more curious about the case, there’s a great episode of Joe Rogan experience featuring Victor Conte, founder of BALCO, who detailed his experiences.
John Davis is a dedicated practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having first started training in the martial art in 2011. Despite facing significant knee issues that have sidelined him for a period, John remains passionate about the sport and continues to follow all the latest developments in the BJJ community.