Unified Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tested positive for Cocaine, which puts his titles in doubt, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
In a letter from VADA president Dr. Margaret Goodman sent to representatives for Fury, Klitschko, the British Boxing Board of Control and the United States’ Association of Boxing Commissions on Thursday night, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.com, she wrote, “This letter is to advise you that the ‘A’ sample urine specimen number 4006253 collected from Tyson Fury on September 22, 2016 in Lancaster, England through his participation in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) program has been analyzed for anabolic agents, diuretics, beta-2 agonists, stimulants and drugs of abuse. The results of the analysis are as follows: Adverse. Urine specimen contains benzoylecgonine.
“Mr. Fury has the right to promptly request analysis of the ‘B’ sample at his expense.”
“Tyson will now immediately undergo the treatment he needs to make a full recovery,” Hennessy said. “We and Tyson wish to express our sincerest apologies to all those concerned with the event and all the boxing fans who had been looking forward to the rematch. Tyson is understandably devastated by the development.”
“Hopefully, the organizations will move quickly because Wladimir wants to fight for a title before the end of the year,” Bernd Boente, Klitschko’s manager, told ESPN.com. “He has already been in the longest layoff of his career because of Fury, and he is keen on fighting again for a title by the end of the year.”
“If this is true about his positive drug test, it’s too bad we did not do VADA testing before the first fight,” Boente said. “We are not surprised because this is how Fury acted the whole time and now we probably have another indication why he didn’t show up at the press conference in London, where he claimed a car problem. It also shows the ongoing situation with (the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Association) situation under a different light.”
“I feel very sorry that UKADA never was open about that situation with us because then we would have insisted on VADA testing before the first fight,” Boente said. “I think Fury is probably the most unworthy heavyweight champion in history, not only because of this situation but because of the whole package of his sexist comments, his anti-Semitic comments and his homophobic comments that have been [well documented].”
