Billy Joe Saunders has been fined £100,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control after the emergence of video footage in which he appears to offer a woman drugs.
The WBO middleweight champion has apologised after images filmed from inside the WBO world middleweight champion’s car showed him speaking to a woman through the passenger window and offering her £150 worth of drugs to perform a sex act. He then asks her to punch a passerby, which she does, before the boxer drives off.
The BBBofC found him guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute and issued a severe reprimand as well as the fine, which will go to a charity to assist former boxers.
Police have started an investigation into the incident and described the video as “sickening”. No drugs could be seen in the video and the fighter later described it as “banter” that “went wrong”.
Saunders is due to defend his title against the American Demetrius Andrade in Boston on 20 October.
