Hard Choices for Hardcore UFL

[DeJaVu]

(3 March 3073)

Hardcore [Hardcore News Network]—After rampant charges of genetic and surgical modification, along with claims excessive doping and insertion of AWOL Clan Elementals, the Hardcore Ultimate Fighting League is looking at a complete restructuring of its entrance guidelines, in an effort to stave off a significant drop in interest, viewership and revenue.
Once the most popular, non-'Mech attractions on the world, and regarded as one of the best entertainment venues on other Magistracy worlds, due to the intensity and flash of the fights, the HUFL has fallen on hard times. One of the league's most popular fighters, “Raging” Rick Carros, was accused of having surgical modifications and augmentations by the very doctor who claimed to have performed them. More public relations disasters followed when several trainers fired by the League claimed that numerous fighters were using performance enhancing drugs. The most recent accusation that “Terrible” Torry is an AWOL elemental from Clan Hells Horses has created incredible controversy not only due to the nature of Torry's potential heritage, but also the worry over the question of how many Clanners may indeed be in Magistracy space.
“The League needed to do something.” said fight commentator Eric Renders. “The HUFL is one of the few fighting leagues that was believed to be clean, thus making it a legitimate attraction. There's more than enough 'freak' leagues for people who want to watch them. The HUFL was meant to be serious sport.”
League officials plan to launch a series of revisions beginning in April to clean house. All fighters must submit to drug testing and undergo full body scans and tissue sampling to detect any modifications or myomer implantation. What the league will not do is background checks.
“It's impractical, and for the majority of our fighters, it would be unfair.” said Kelly Lasorta, League Fair-play Chair. “A lot of the league's fighters come from worlds where paperwork is either incomplete or non-existent. Gary Trodo is from Weistheimer for example, which is still very much a colony world. Records there are sketchy at best.”
When asked about the issue of clan warriors within the HUFL, Lasorta was confident that the new testing methods 'would guarantee a safe and legal league for everyone.'