Boxer Sergey Kovalev kicked off flight for 'grabbing, kissing & throwing money' at female passenger
Sergey Kovalev, Russia’s WBO light heavyweight world champion, was allegedly kicked off a flight from Florida to LA earlier in July for inappropriate behavor involving "grabbing, kissing and throwing money" at a female passenger.
US sports outlet The Athletic, reported that the incident happened on a flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida, and bound for Los Angeles International Airport, California, on July 15.
Shortly before take off, a female fellow passenger seated next to Kovalev accused the 36-year-old of grabbing her by the hands, kissing her and throwing money in her direction. The incident resulted in the passenger crying and complaining to flight attendants of feeling “uncomfortable and not safe.''
The captain subsequently had Kovalev removed from the flight for alleged ‘inappropriate behavior’, although no arrests were made and there is no pending investigation, according to Broward County Sheriff’s Office, who confirmed a "heated argument" had taken place on board.
Egis Klimas, the fighter's Lithuanian manager, commented that the situation had been hard to understand.
“I haven’t read it. The story doesn't make sense. I don't know and haven't seen it. I think that if there was something, then there would have been different consequences. Sergey is now in training, everything is fine with him,”Klimas said, TASS reported.
It isn't the first time Kovalev has been accused of crude behavior; in the lead up to his world title rematch against Eleider Alvarez earlier this year, US model Jamie Frontz said she intended to sue for $8 million when she accused the boxer of assaulting her and her dog when she allegedly rejected his advances at a California party in June 2018.
Also on rt.com US model to sue Russian boxer Kovalev for $8mn for ‘assaulting her & her dog’News of the incident was published a matter of days before his match against the Colombian-Canadian, which he won by a 12 round unanimous decision. Kovalev, who is yet to comment on the flight incident, asked his fans not to make any “hasty conclusions” about the event involving Frontz.
“Doesn't it seem strange to you that the incident happened in June of last year, and they announced it on the eve of my rematch against Alvarez?” he wrote on Instagram. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in a court appearance but the case is ongoing.
Chelyabinsk native Kovalev is currently in training for his August 24 defence of his WBO title against British fighter Anthony Yarde at the Traktor Sport Palace in his hometown.
Kovalev is one of the most well-known faces in world boxing, having become a three-time world champion in his weight division, either side of a two-fight epic with all-time great Andre Ward.
He was bestowed the honor of ring magazine ‘fighter of the year’ in 2014, the year in which he unified the 175 lbs division with victory over ring legend Bernard Hopkins.
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