Hryunov Will Push To Reverse Lebedev-Jones Result

By Yuri Tarantin

Promoter Vladimir Hryunov will push to reverse the official result of May's battle between cruiserweights Denis Lebedev and Guillermo Jones. BoxingScene.com reported a few days ago that Jones (39-3-2, 31KOs) has tested positive for Furosemide, according to testing results from RUSADA [Russian Anti Doping Agency]. Jones tooks the tests following his eleventh round TKO of Lebedev at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. With the victory Jones captured the WBA's cruiserweight championship.

Furosemide is a weight cutting agent and some athletes have used the substance as a masking agent to hide other forms of performance enhancing drugs. The WBA has already ordered the testing of Jones' "B sample." If the B sample comes back positive, Jones' win over Lebedev could possibly be reversed and the title returned to the Russian fighter.

After that match was over, there was a dispute between the promoters - Hryunov and Don King. King did not want his fighter, Jones, to take RUSADA's test because Lebedev's team would not allow them to take one of the samples for testing purposes in the United States [in the event Jones tested positive for something with the Russian organization]. King wanted an American-based organization, VADA, to test the sample upon his return to the United States.

"Our goal is the abolition of the result of this battle and the return of the title to Lebedev. The entire behavior of the team and Jones himself, when they refused to comply with the doping test terms [outlined in the] signed contract, indicated that they were cheating. Now all of that has been confirmed," Hryunov said.

Yuri Tarantin covers boxing for Allboxing.ru