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Tyson Fury tests positive for cocaine

Tyson Fury (right) in action against Wladimir Klitschko. Photo credit: Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts
Fighters Network
30
Sep

Tyson Fury, the RING, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion of the world, has tested positive for cocaine, according to a report.

The news comes on the heels of the enigmatic Brit pulling out of a rematch with former champion Wladimir Klitschko, which was scheduled for Oct. 29 in Manchester, England. That announcement was made public on Sept. 23.

Now ESPN.com is reporting that Fury failed a drug test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on Sept. 22.

The sports website obtained a copy of a letter issued by VADA President Dr. Margaret Goodman to all parties involved in Fury-Klitschko II, which reads as follows, “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.”



Benzoylecgonine is the main metabolite in cocaine.

Team Fury had released a statement indicating the fighter was “medically unfit to fight” and rumors began to circulate that this was due to a battle with depression. The Klitschko rematch, originally scheduled for July, was postponed after Fury suffered an ankle injury in June..

Fury defeated Klitschko by a 12-round unanimous decision last November in the RING Upset of the Year for 2015. The 28-year-old Englishman also was named Fighter of the Year honor by this publication.

Since that time, controversy has never been too far away and Fury is likely to lose his world title belts without ever defending them.

Tom Gray is a U.K. correspondent/ editor for RingTV.com and a member of THE RING ratings panel. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing

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