Fury
vacates world titles, has license suspended
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[October 13, 2016]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - British heavyweight
Tyson Fury has had his boxing license suspended, hours after he
announced he was relinquishing his two world titles to focus on his
mental health.
Robert Smith, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of
Control (BBBC) that oversees professional boxing in Britain, told
Reuters the decision was made pending investigation of anti-doping
and medical issues.
Fury revealed the turmoil in his private life last week when he told
Rolling Stone magazine that he had been taking cocaine and bingeing
on alcohol as a consequence of depression.
The 28-year-old WBO and WBA champion has not fought since beating
Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to win the titles in November 2015, and
he announced on Wednesday that his 11-month reign was over.
"I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost
in the ring, but I'm unable to defend at this time and I have taken
the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my
treasured world titles," Fury said in statement released by his
promoter Mick Hennessy.
"(I) wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now
enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against
Klitschko, I will conquer."
Tyson's points victory over Klitschko in Duesseldorf, Germany, was
one of the biggest upsets in the long history of heavyweight boxing.
It was a first defeat for Klitschko in 11 years and the now
40-year-old Ukrainian, who has accused Fury of "dragging boxing
through the mud", immediately demanded a re-match.
Fury called off a fight against Klitschko in July because of an
ankle injury and again last month for an unspecified medical
condition.
ESPN reported at the start of October that Fury had tested positive
for cocaine, citing a leaked letter sent by the Voluntary
Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) which Reuters has been unable to verify.
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Fury celebrates winning the fightAction Images via Reuters / Lee
SmithLivepic/File Photo
A couple of days later, Fury announced his retirement in an
expletive-laden tweet, only to abruptly reverse the decision.
He told Rolling Stone that he had never taken banned substances
before he fought and his cocaine use started only after he beat
Klitschko.
Fury has also been charged with a rule violation by UK Anti-Doping
after a urine sample from February 2015 showed traces of the banned
stimulant nandrolone. He denies any wrongdoing.
Peter Fury, the boxer's uncle and trainer, told the BBC that his
nephew would be back.
"Once he produces all of his records of what he's been through then
I don't think the boxing board will have any option but to give him
his license back," he said.
"This is a guy that's needed medical treatment, so once the powers
that be say he's fit to box then there's no reason why he can't be
reinstated. He's at the pinnacle of his career."
(Additional reporting and writing by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Greg
Stutchbury and Pritha Sarkar)
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