Fury drug case cost £580,000
TYSON Fury and Hughie Fury’s case cost UK Anti-Doping almost £580,000 in legal fees.
The former world heavyweight champion and cousin Hughie tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in February 2015, but were not charged by UKAD until June 2016, by which time the Manchester fighter had beaten Wladimir Klitschko.
The Furys strongly denied the nandrolone charge, stating the positive test was a result of eating wild boar that had not been castrated.
UKAD sought the four-year ban that nandrolone carries, while the Furys claimed they had done nothing wrong and should be cleared.
A compromise was reached in December which let both men resume their careers.
At the time UKAD chief executive Nicole Sapstead said the organisation had ‘thrown an unprecedented amount of resources’ at the cases and used ‘very eminent and successful lawyers.’
She said in December ‘the money element’ was considered when agreeing the compromise, and UKAD revealed yesterday it had spent £577,717 on legal costs plus a further £7,942 on ‘laboratory analysis and associated services’
Meanwhile, George Groves has warned Chris Eubank Jnr he has backed himself into a corner that he won’t be able to get out of ahead of their fight at the Manchester Arena next Saturday.
Groves puts his WBA super-middleweight title on the line against domestic rival Eubank Jnr in the semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series.
Groves and Eubank have shared plenty of bad blood during the build-up to their fight in Manchester, but Groves insists he is levels above Eubank and plans on making him pay. “He has managed to talk himself into a formidable position, maybe even favourite. Why is there such a demand for this fight? Why do people think Eubank can win? I don’t know,” said Groves.
“A lot of things can go on, especially with the Eubanks, that I don’t understand. It’s just not reality. TalkSport were videoing terrible sparring he was involved in that I would never release, then the dad jumps in and it is the blind leading the blind.
“The dad has absolutely lost the plot. He’s got his new lease of life through his son. He’s always had a desire to be loved. The pair of them have got themselves into a position now where some people have bought into it, they believe he is the next coming.
“They believe he is a genuine article and that not only is he going to win this fight, but he is a formidable force. I don’t see it.”