Middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders has been fined £100k and given a warning over his future conduct outside of the ring after video footage emerged of him offering a woman drugs.
Video footage that emerged last week showed Saunders, 29, sat inside a Rolls Royce encouraging a woman to perform a sex act on his friend and attack an innocent bystander for being “a paedophile”.
Nottinghamshire Police described the video as “sickening” and started an investigation into the incident, with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) hitting Saunders with a misconduct charge.
At a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday the BBBoC found Saunders guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute, with a statement saying: “Billy Joe Saunders appeared before the stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control today under a misconduct charge following his recent behaviour shown on social media.
“The stewards have found Mr Saunders guilty of bringing the sport of boxing into disrepute and have fined him the sum of £100,000 and issued a severe reprimand as to his future conduct.
“All monies will go to the BBBofC charity to assist ex-boxers and ex-licence holders who have fallen on hard times.”
The boxer apologised for the video last week, describing the incident as “banter”.
“Apologise to everybody who’s took offence,” Saunders tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“Totally in the wrong, can’t do anything but be sorry. ‘Banter when (sic) wrong’. Apologies once again.”
Saunders became the WBO middleweight world champion when he beat Andy Lee in December 2015. He previously held the European, British, and Commonwealth middleweight titles.
Unbeaten in 26 fights, he is due to defend his title against American Demetrius Andrade in Boston on 20 October.
