The allegation of doping against Fury comes only two days after the 27-year-old said he would not be able to defend his title belts in a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko on July 9 (AFP Photo/Oli Scarff)
LONDON, United Kingdom, June 26 – Controversial British heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury strongly denied a newspaper claim on Sunday that he failed a doping test last year.
The Sunday Mirror alleged that Fury — who won the belt in an upset defeat of Wladimir Klitschko last November — returned a sample with a banned steroid in it.
“We are baffled by today’s story in the Sunday Mirror,” said a statement from Fury’s promoter Hennessy Sports.
“Tyson Fury absolutely denies any allegation of doping. He looks forward to recovering from his injury and defending his titles against Wladimir Klitschko in October.”
The allegation comes only two days after the 27-year-old — who has sparked a furore with sexist remarks about women, homosexuality and paedophilia — said he would not be able to defend the WBA, WBO and IBO belts in a rematch with Klitschko in July after injuring his ankle during a run.
The Mirror claimed that the banned steroid nandrolone — which aids muscle growth — had been discovered in a test Fury underwent either in February or March last year, well before his remarkable win over the ageing Klitschko.
UK Anti-Doping agency refused to confirm or deny the allegations.
“UK Anti-Doping does not discuss or disclose details of any cases until due legal process has been completed or a respondent chooses to put the information into the public domain,” said a UKAD spokesperson.
“This is to protect the rights and privacy of all involved and to ensure that a case is not subjected to unnecessary prejudice.
“It is important to note that an anti-doping rule violation is only deemed to have been committed once the legal process, including any appeals, has been completed. At that point, details of a violation will be made available on the UKAD website.”
According to the newspaper, Fury’s cousin Hughie, also a boxer, failed a test for the same substance, although he too denied any wrongdoing.
