Tyson Fury has reportedly failed a drugs test – testing positive for recreational drug cocaine on the 22nd of September.
The Gypsy King flunked a urine exam the day before he pulled out of his rematch with Vladimir Klitschko – the second time he had backed out of a rematched with the Ukrainian for the WBA and WBO straps – and fans are now desparate for Brit hero Anthony Joshua to step into his place.
Fury's career now hangs in the balance - despite his heroics in Germany when he shocked the world to rip the gold from Klistchko in his adopted home of Germany – his popularity has never been lower.
His bible-bashing Old Testament views have alienated him from the mainstream public who the down-to-earth fighter would love to have on side.
Instead he now faces a desperate fight to cling to his gold and his career as the boxing bodies, UK Anti-Doping and the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association clamp down.
A letter from VADA president Dr. Margaret Goodman, sent Team Fury, Klitschko, the British Boxing Board of Control and the United States' Association of Boxing Commissions confirmed Fury's 'A' sample had tested positive for the substance benzoylecgonine - the central compound found in cocaine.
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The giant can now pay for his ‘B’ sample to be tested in the hope that it will come up negative and give him a shot at rebuilding his legacy.
The news could get even worse for the traveller, the VADA testing for performance-enhancing drugs is done separately and takes longer, so those results could add to his agony - especially after he allegedly failed a urine sample test in February 2015 – nine months before he beat Klitschko in Dusseldorf.
If he is not saved by his back-up sample then he will lose his belts and his two titles would up for grabs.
Anthony Joshua fans would love to see AJ in the frame but there are plenty of massive obstacles in his way.
Joseph Parker is currently the WBO’s number one challenger, followed by Klitschko, Andy Ruiz and then David Haye.
But the board could conceivably pair Parker with any of the three, meaning Haye could get another shot at a world title.
The WBA have Luis Ortiz as their interim champ with Klitschko, Alexander Ustinov and Fres Oquendo following. David Daye is in six with Shannon Briggs in eighth.
Despite being the IBF boss – after being essentially gifted it after it was unfairly stripped from Fury – novice Joshua is still not in the top-15 of either organisation.
AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn has said: "I've seen a lot of stuff talking about AJ and Klitschko saying that it's done. It's definitely not done.
"We are in talks with Team Klitschko and his manager Bernd Boente. I'm hopeful that the fight can be made if everything works out."
But it would take some major manoeuvring to get Joshua in pole position to replace the wayward Fury who has left his fans so angry.
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