BOXING is often a majestic, fascinating sport but it does come with its dark side.
But several big names have been told to stay away from the ring while they clean up their act – having major impact on world title fights across the divisions.
Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield remains one of the most shocking moments in boxing historyCredit: AFP – Getty
That has led to several big names being told to stay away from the ring while they clean up their act, having a major impact on world title fights across the divisions.
Here, SunSport delves into the stories behind boxing’s biggest bans – from Muhammad Ali’s war vow to Mike Tyson’s crunching bite.
Mike Tyson
When Mike Tyson fought Evander Holyfield in November 1996, the tagline was simply “Finally”, such was the anticipation of seeing the two champions square off in the ring.
Seven months later, the pair met again for a rematch as Tyson sought to avenge his 11th-round TKO defeat – only the second of his career.
The New York native went into the fight angered by what he perceived to be deliberate headbutts from his opponent during the first meeting.
And, once again, Holyfield’s head connected with Tyson while dodging a right-hander in the second round.
Referee Mills Lane put it down as accidental and Tyson sensationally attempted to enter the next round without his mouthguard – suggesting what he was about to do was absolutely premeditated.
Ordered to put it back in, he nonetheless made for Holyfield’s ear within seconds, biting off a chunk of his rival during a clinch.
The damage to Holyfield’s ear was clear for all to seeCredit: Reuters
That sent Holyfield hopping around the canvas in sheer agony, heading back to his corner with a bloodied ear for a time-out and receiving a stunning shove from Tyson while his back was turned.
A lengthy stoppage saw only two points deducted from the defending WBA champion before he launched another bite in the fifth round, incurring a disqualification.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission handed down a £2.4million fine and banned Tyson from fighting, leading to over a year out of the ring.
Later, he admitted it was indeed a retaliation for the headbutts before he apologising in 2009 – one which his opponent accepted.
Muhammad Ali
Not every banned boxer had necessarily done something wrong, by today’s standards.
In the mid-1960s, the US war with Vietnam saw Muhammad Ali drafted into the army having previously registered for conscription.
Famously, the boxer remarked “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong” and refused to join up on the grounds of his religious beliefs and general opposition to the war.
Convicted of a federal offence, the boxing world reacted by stripping Ali of his licenses to fight while he also had his passport removed.
In 1968, he said: “I am not allowed to work in America and I’m not allowed to leave America. I’m just about broke.”
Ali was already an outspoken superstar by this point, hence the reaction from the American establishment, with a 29-0 record and Olympic gold medal to his name.
Effectively banned from boxing at the age of 25, the legend returned to the ring just before his 29th birthday to defeat Jerry Quarry in 1970.
But arguably more important was that, on June 28, 1971, the US Supreme Court overturned his conviction for draft evasion – a crime coming with a five-year prison sentenced that he never served.
Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury was on top of the world after a shock win over Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.
Holding the unified belts of the heavyweight division, the Gypsy King never got to defend them with the Ukrainian star ready for a rematch the following year.
Suffering from mental health issues and gaining excessive weight, Fury then tested positive for cocaine.
Fury’s weight ballooned as he battled personal issuesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
He told Rolling Stone soon after: “I’ve had total enough of it. Never mind cocaine. I just didn’t care. I don’t want to live anymore. So cocaine is a little minor thing compared to not wanting to live anymore.”
Also being investigated by UK Anti-Doping for the discovery of banned substance nandrolone in a previous test, Fury’s license was suspended ahead of a protracted and expensive investigation.
Finally returning in June 2018, the Manchester-born fighter would later re-announce himself with a stunning draw against WBC champ Deontay Wilder before downing him in seven rounds earlier this year to complete one of boxing’s greatest comebacks.
Canelo Alvarez
Mexican superstar Canelo is one of global sport’s biggest earners but he was forced to spend a year out of the ring following two failed drugs tests.
The asthma prescription drug clenbuterol was detected in his samples.
The “surprised and bothered” fighter blamed contaminated meat.
Backdated to February 2018, the consequence was a 12-month ban for Canelo.
That meant a planned rematch with Gennady Golovkin had to be put off until almost a year to the day after their draw the previous September.
Canelo’s long stretch without a fight might have given the Kazakh star the upper hand yet he came through to claim a controversial majority decision win after 12 rounds in Las Vegas.
Jarrell Miller
In terms of knock-on effect throughout the boxing world, the denial of Jarrell Miller’s boxing license and six-month WBA ban in February 2019 is right up there.
Set to fight Anthony Joshua for the Brit’s Stateside debut, two positive tests for three different banned substances saw him cast aside and Andy Ruiz Jr elevated to the top of the card.
What happened next was one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history, setting back AJ’s no longer undefeated career and sending shockwaves through the division.
Joshua vs Miller might have had a very different outcome to Joshua vs Ruiz JrCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The 31-year-old is still picking up the pieces of a shattered career and hasn’t fought since November 2018.
Initially stating the first adverse finding in a drugs test to be wrong, Miller later came out and admitted his error when the B sample also came up positive.
He said: “I messed up. There were a lot of ways to handle the situation, I handled it wrongly and I’m paying a price for it.”
Shannon Briggs
With a career spanning 68 fights and almost three decades, Briggs fell foul of a six-month WBA ban in 2017 when plotting a bout against fellow veteran Fres Oquendo.
The 48-year-old harbours dreams of becoming the world’s oldest heavyweight champion, a record held by a 45-year-old George Foreman.
But a drugs test ahead of the fight came back with a hugely abnormal testosterone reading.
World Anti-Doping guidelines allow for a testosterone to epitestosterone ratio of 4 to 1, and Briggs’ was a massive 7.89 to 1, setting back his ambitions and pushing the American into considering a stint in bare knuckle boxing.
Billy Joe Saunders
The most recent case of a banned boxer is Billy Joe Saunders, whose loss of his boxing license was more needlessly self-inflicted than most.
A shocking video of the middleweight emerged teaching boxing tips to men who want to hit their wives or girlfriends, leading to a major backlash and the suspension of his license pending appeal.
Billy Joe Saunders apologises for his social media post that appeared to condone domestic violence
It was far from the 30-year-old’s first example of poor decision making, having previously been caught filming himself while speeding down a motorway and appearing to taunt a drug addict with the offer of money in exchange for sexual acts.
The undefeated Saunders has therefore released almost as many apologies as he has left hooks and a career-defining fight with Canelo is now on ice.
Dillian Whyte
Exactly how Dillian Whyte’s career would have panned out had he not been banned for two years after the stimulant Methylhexaneamine was found in his blood is a good debate to have.
The promising heavyweight was pinned for not properly checking the ingredients of an over the counter supplement, leading to a suspension between October 2012 and 2014.
Making up for lost time, Whyte has since won all his professional contests bar a 2015 defeat to Joshua.
And the pair could be drawn together once more with Whyte still battling to become a mandatory challenger for a world title belt.
Shane Mosley
‘Sugar’ has fought some of the world’s top boxers, from Floyd Mayweather to Canelo, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
But his career was blighted by allegations he knowingly took performance enhancing drugs when US investigators looked into California laboratory BALCO.
These substances were not discovered in Mosley’s tests as he claimed a unanimous points victory over De La Hoya in September 2003.
That meant he avoided an official ban. Court transcripts from the BALCO investigation were subsequently reported by New York Times to show the fighter admitting to a grand jury that he injected himself with the doping agent EPO before the bout.
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
