Tyson Fury Facing Eight-Year Ban
...As UKAD Begin Investigation Into Farmer's Drug Cover-Up Claims, Which Boxer's Camp Deny
Tyson Fury is facing an investigation amid claims a Lancashire farmer was offered £25,000 to lie about the WBC heavyweight champion’s failed drugs test in 2015.
The Gypsy King was found to have illegal levels of steroid nandrolone in his system after his win over Christian Hammer.
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren insists the claims made by a Preston farmer are not true.
Fury, 31, and his cousin Hughie – who also tested positive – blamed the result on eating uncastrated wild boar.
Now UK Anti-Doping are set to launch a probe after farmer Martin Carefoot claimed in the Mail on Sunday that he lied to investigators about supplying the meat on the promise of £25,000.
If Fury is found guilty of tampering with the first investigation, which followed those positive tests, he could be hit by an eight-year suspension which would end his career.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren – who joined the WBC heavyweight champ’s team in 2018 – said: “The farmer making these outrageous allegations sent me a letter last October, full of errors and basically telling me he had committed perjury by signing statements under oath and lying.
“When I called him, he asked for money. I told him to clear off and get in contact with UKAD. He chose not to speak to UKAD but instead speak to a newspaper.
“How anybody can take this man seriously is beyond belief. Tyson has never met this man in his life. What a load of rubbish.
“We’ll leave this with UKAD to look into and don’t expect it to go any further.”
Both Tyson and Hughie accepted back-dated two-year bans in 2017.
If they are found guilty of tampering with the first probe, they could face eight-year suspensions.
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WBC boss Mauricio Sulaiman insisted Fury, who beat Deontay Wilder sensationally in February to win the WBC heavyweight belt, has his full backing.
The head of the sanctioning body told SunSport: “Personally, I prefer to believe Tyson Fury ahead of someone who has already admitted to lying in legal documents for financial gain.
“The person who has claimed he accepted money to lie should be the one on trial, in my personal opinion, especially when he has waited five years to tell his story.”
Fury beat Hammer at the O2 in February 2015, and later that year went on to beat Vladimir Klitschko to become the WBA, IBF and WBO champion.
He later vacated the titles as he battled mental health issues and cocaine addiction.
Fury caused a sensation when he destroyed previously undefeated WBC champion Wilder in February.
The self-styled Gypsy King is expected to face a third fight with Wilder in July in Las Vegas.
However, an all-British unification clash between Fury and Anthony Joshua is the one everyone wants to see now.
Joshua is set to fight Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in June with a potential showdown with Fury later this year.