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          Sergey Kovalev tests positive for synthetic testosterone; bout vs. Bektemir Melikuziev in doubt

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterJan 14, 2021, 08:36 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          Former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev has tested positive for banned substances ahead of his next fight.

          The 37-year-old's test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association showed external testosterone and metabolites, according to results obtained by ESPN on Thursday. The sample was taken on Dec. 30 and now places his fight on Jan. 30 against Bektemir Melikuziev in jeopardy.

          Main Events CEO Kathy Duva, Kovalev's promoter, acknowledged the test results in a statement released Thursday.

          "VADA was contracted for this fight at his insistence, as he has requested for almost all of his fights going back several years," Duva said in the statement. "He maintains that he did not purposefully ingest any banned substances."

          The promoter added that Kovalev has "proven to be a clean fighter" in his many years of VADA testing and will request the anti-doping association to test his B sample.

          Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) is coming off a layoff that stretches back to November 2019, when he suffered an 11th-round knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez. Melikuziev (6-0, 5 KOs) issued his own statement on Twitter that said he is indifferent about Kovalev's positive test.

          "It makes no difference to me," the 2016 Olympic medalist said in the tweet. "Just put him in the ring, let us fight regardless."

          The news of Kovalev's test was first reported by BoxingScene.com. Main Events, Golden Boy Promotions and the California State Athletic Commission were among those who were notified by VADA on Wednesday concerning the findings.