Sergey Kovalev removed from flight after Russian boxer ‘kissed female passenger and threw money at her’
WBO light heavyweight champion is due to fight Britain’s Anthony Yarde next month but could face action after being removed from a flight in Florida
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Russian boxer Sergey Kovalev was removed from a plane after the world champion “kissed and threw money at a female passenger”.
The incident, which happened on 15 July at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, saw current WBO light heavyweight champion Kovalev become involved with a woman sat next to him on a flight bound for Los Angeles International Airport.
According to The Athletic, 36-year-old Kovalev allegedly made advances towards the women by grabbing her hands and kissing her, before throwing cash at her. The woman was left in tears and alerted airline staff that she felt “uncomfortable and not safe”, and a decision was taken by the pilot to have Kovalev removed from the aeroplane before the flight departed, according to a report published by the airport.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a “mid-30, tall Russian white male” was removed from the flight following a “heated argument” at around 7:20pm ET on the day of the incident, although while police officers arrived at the gate a few minutes later, no arrests were made and no subsequent investigation will be carried out.
Other passengers are believed to have intervened before Kovalev was removed.
Although the incident will not be investigated by police, it does throw the future of Kovalev’s next fight into question. The Russian is due to fight Britain’s Anthony Yarde in a world championship defence in his hometown of Chelyabinsk on 24 August.
But given the punishment that was handed out to fellow boxer Kubrat Pulev for kissing a female reporter without consent during an interview, Kovalev could face action from within the boxing business.
The California State Athletic Commission banned Pulev until he underwent a sexual harassment education course, after video emerged of him kissing reporter Jenny Ravalo unexpectedly during their post-fight interview in March.
It is not the first time that Kovalev has landed himself in hot water. Earlier this year it emerged that he faced an $8m (£6.57m) lawsuit after a women accused him of inflicting injuries on her after she rejected his advances at a party that was held in June 2018.
Kovalev pleaded not guilty at a court appearance in August last year, although the case is ongoing.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments