Sergey Kovalev was removed from a flight on July 15 as a result of the WBO light heavyweight champion allegedly grabbing a female passenger's hand, kissing her and throwing cash at her, The Athletic reported on Monday.
According to the website, the 37-year-old boxer made the unwanted advances toward the woman before the plane took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, bringing the woman to tears as she reportedly felt "uncomfortable and not safe." The captain of the flight then had
Kovalev is facing a felony assault charge stemming from an incident on June 9, 2018 — also involving an alleged assault against another woman. According to TMZ Sports, Kovalev allegedly punched Jamie Frontz in the face after she turned down his sexual advances at Big Bear Lake, Calif. Frontz, who has filed a civil lawsuit against Kovalev, alleges he pinned her on the couch, kicked her dog and punched her in the face. She says she suffered a broken nose, a
Kovalev was released on $50,000 bond after being arrested that same night of the alleged incident in June 2018 and pleaded not guilty during that August 2018 hearing. His next hearing in that case is slated for Thursday, Aug. 1, and he faces up to four years in prison if found guilty.
Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) is coming off a TKO victory to reclaim the WBO title in a rematch against Eleider Alvarez last August and is currently scheduled to defend the championship against Anthony Yarde on Aug. 24. in his native Russia.