Dillian
Whyte, the British heavyweight boxer, expressed his devastation over an
“adverse finding” from a random dope test, which led to the
cancellation of his upcoming fight with former world champion Anthony Joshua. The
highly-anticipated rematch was scheduled to take place at London’s O2 Arena on
August 12.
Promoters
Matchroom revealed that the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) had
notified them about Whyte’s “adverse analytical findings” during a
random anti-doping protocol. Consequently, the fight was called off, and a
thorough investigation will be conducted.
In
response to the news, Whyte vehemently denied any use of the reported
substance, asserting that he had never taken it during this camp or at any other
point in his life. He emphasized that this was not the first time such
allegations had arisen, and like before, he would prove his innocence beyond
doubt.
It
is worth noting that Whyte had previously served a two-year ban from 2012 to
2014 after testing positive for a banned stimulant present in a nutritional
supplement. However, in 2019, he tested positive for traces of a banned steroid
but was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD),
which withdrew the doping violation charge.
Meanwhile,
Anthony Joshua had suffered a setback in September 2021, losing his WBA, WBO,
IBF, and IBO belts to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk. The outcome of the canceled
Joshua vs. Whyte fight could have determined a potential lucrative clash with
former WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
Matchroom
faced another anti-doping controversy involving British welterweight Conor
Benn, who failed two voluntary drugs tests last year. However, the UK
Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) recently confirmed that Benn was no longer under
suspension, thus concluding the matter.
