Tyson Fury could be stripped of his boxing licence by the British Boxing Board of Control, after he admitted that he has been taking cocaine recently. The governing body will meet on 12th October, where they will rule over whether Fury is allowed to continue boxing professionally.
The revelations come after a tumultuous week for the reigning WBO and WBA heavyweight champion, after he tweeted that he was retiring from the sport, only to then backtrack a few hours later. It also comes just shortly after Fury postponed his long-awaited rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, citing depression as the cause. What’s more, Fury faces a hearing in front of UK Anti-Doping, after a banned substance was allegedly found in a sample given by the boxer in June.
The British Boxing Board of Control does have precedence when it comes to banning high-profile boxers, as they banned Ricky Hatton from the sport in 2010 after allegations of drug use. It is thought that Hatton has got in touch with Fury to offer him any support he needs.
Even if Fury does escape any sanctions from UK Anti-Doping, he could still quite possibly lose both of his belts. The WBO and WBA both have the authority to strip the fighter of the belts whenever they feel, and the recent revelations – as well as his failure to defend his belts since November 2015 – could see them do just that.
Should Fury lose his belts, it could present a chance for fellow British boxer Anthony Joshua to pick up more belts, to go with his IBF title. It is purely speculation regarding who the challengers could be if Fury is stripped of his belts though, although they could also include Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder, the latter of whom is the reigning WBC champion. Wladimir Klitschko could also feel that he deserves a shot, as he is the man lined up to face Fury in the British fighter’s next bout.
In other boxing news, it has been announced that Lee Selby will defend his IBF featherweight title against Jonathan Victor Barros. This comes after the former champion defeated Satoshi Hosono to become the mandatory challenger for the Welsh fighter. This will be Selby’s third title defence, with his last coming in April 2016. Should Barros manage to defeat the fighter from Wales, he will win the title for the second time, having also held the IBF belt in 2010/11.