NEW YORK (AP) — In a unanimous court decision, U.S. heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder has won his latest fight.
A Manhattan federal jury found in his favor Monday as the World Boxing Council champion tries to secure a $5 million payday for a fight that never happened against a Russian heavyweight challenger.
The 31-year-old Tuscaloosa, Alabama, boxer was not in court when the nine-person jury returned its verdict after brief deliberations. Neither was the Russian boxer — Alexander Povetkin.
The jury concluded Povetkin had used a performance-enhancing substance after it was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in early 2016. He tested negative for meldonium three times but then tested positive in a surprise test before the scheduled May fight, which was canceled.
Povetkin's lawyer, Kent Yakowitz, did not immediately comment Monday.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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