Krusher Kovalev Fails Vada Drug Test, Bout With Ex-Olympian Melikuziev Cancelled
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Los Angeles, CA (January 16th, 2020)– The comeback bout attempt of former World Light Heavyweight champion Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev, 37, against ex-Olympian Bektemir Melikuziev on January 30, 2021, has been cancelled as Kovalev has failed sample ‘A’ of the VADA drug test. Specifics have not yet been revealed. The bout had been moved from Russian soil to Indio, California.
Kovalev, 34-4-1 with 29 knockouts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, held the World Boxing Organisation World Light Heavyweight title when Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez knocked him out last November 2019, and has been inactive since. Southpaw super middleweight Melikuziev, age 24, 6-0 with five knockouts, Indio, California, who holds the World Boxing Organisation Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title, would have been moving up in weight to challenge Kovalev. Father Time may be catching up with ex-champ Kovalev, who will turn 38 years old on April 2, 2021. This was a bout involving youth versus experience, and not passing the VADA drug test was the perfect way to get out of the bout. No results on the VADA test ‘B’ sample were reported.
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