By Tim Parsons-
Heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder has won his court battle against Russian boxer Alexander Povetkin .
The legal battle in Newyork was over a heavyweight title bout called off after the Povetkin tested positive for a banned substance meldoniuum in 2016. Both heavyweight boxers filed suits and counter suits against each other after the May 21 bout fell through, but Povetkin was always in for a loser on this one because of the drug test failure.
After less than an hour, a federal jury in Manhattan on Monday ruled in favor of Wilder in a civil trial, finding that Povetkin ingested meldonium after a World Anti-Doping Agency ban of the drug went into effect in January 2016.
Lawyers for Wilder and promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc argued that Povetkin’s positive urine test came after three negative ones earlier in April 2016, indicating the Russian took the drug after passing the earlier tests.
In Povetkin’s defence, his lawyers and promoter Andrew Ryabinskiy’s company, World of Boxing LLC, insisted the Russian had taken meldonium at a doctor’s direction before the World Anti-Doping Agency had even announced plans to ban it. Whatever the arguments, Wilder’s handlers were not about to put him in against a man who had just failed a drug test.
Yesterday, Monday, a federal jury in Manhattan ruled in favor of Wilder in a civil trial, finding that Povetkin ingested meldonium after a World Anti-Doping Agency ban of the drug went into effect in January 2016.
Wilder’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, said he was “extremely happy” with the verdict, whilst Povetkin’s lawyer, Kent Yalowitz, called the verdict an “outrageous miscarriage of justice” which would be challenged.
The legal battle began last June after Wilder and DiBella sued Povetkin and Ryabinskiy’s World of Boxing LLC, for $5 million for the defendants’ breach of a contract requiring Povetkin to be produced for the match. The legal battle began last
Povetkin was more ambitious in his vain suit of $34.5 million for what they said was Wilder’s own breach of contract for walking away from the fight and defamation for engaging in a “smear campaign.”
Last August, the World Boxing Council announced its findings that it was unable to scientifically and medically determine whether Povetkin ingested meldonium after Jan. 1, 2016, when it was officially banned. Wilder was awarded $5m for the suit, and leaves the court even richer than when he arrived there. The unbeaten American in 36 fights is scheduled to defend his WBC title on February 24th.