You might think that passing or failing a drugs test is a black-and-white, open-and-shut case.
But that doesn’t seem to be the way in boxing as the various testing organizations continue to squabble over the situation surrounding Dillian Whyte.
The British heavyweight has been the subject of significant scrutiny since his victory over Oscar Rivas in July. He allegedly failed a UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) test after the bout, and that cast an almighty shadow over what a win that should have pushed Whyte closer to a fight for the WBC crown against Deontay Wilder.
But now the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has stepped up and confirmed that the ‘Bodysnatcher’ passed their testing both before and after his victory over the Colombian.
Whyte’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has now called on UKAD to deliver a verdict that will clear his fighter’s name. “There's a lot going on at the moment and we are in the hands of UKAD to decide how the process unfolds from here,” he told Sky Sports in the UK. “We want them to act, and we want them to deal with and clear Dillian Whyte's name.”
Hearn has claimed that Whyte passed ‘six or seven’ VADA tests during his training camp and around the same time that the UKAD sample was taken.
That failed test came before the fight, but after appearing at a hearing Whyte was still allowed to take on Rivas with the WBC interim heavyweight title on the line. The upshot is that if any of boxing’s governing bodies had suspected the Englishman was guilty of wrongdoing, they wouldn’t have allowed him to step foot in the ring at London’s O2 Arena. Indeed, VADA, UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control all allowed the fight to take place.
Whyte himself has protested his innocence all along, but the WBC has stepped in and suspended his status as their mandatory challenger to Wilder’s gold. The case continues.
I am so disappointed with the rubbish that has been said about me over the last few days.
— Dillian Whyte (@DillianWhyte) July 26, 2019
I have lawyers dealing with it and I have been told that I can't talk about it for good legal reasons.
I was cleared to fight and I won that fight fair and square.
Thanks for the support
Setback for Boxing’s Nearly Man
It wouldn’t be that outrageous to suggest that Dillian Whyte is one of boxing’s most avoided opponents.
He has been near the summit of the heavyweight division for a number of years, and is still yet to fight for a world title.
His sole defeat came to Anthony Joshua back in 2015, but since then he has compiled a perfect 10-0-0 record, with five of those wins coming via knockout or retirement.
There are names on the 31-year-old’s resumé that prove his is an elite-level fighter. He saw off the durable David Allen and twice got the better of former world challenger Derek Chisora – the first by a contentious split decision, the second via a vicious knockout that put any doubts to bed.
The likes of Robert Helenius, Lucas Browne and Joseph Parker, all among the more respected heavyweights, have also fallen victim to Whyte’s relentless power, and so a shot at the big time surely beckons.
Talks over a rematch with Joshua stalled over contractual terms, while Whyte continues to track Tyson Fury for what would be a colossal all-British encounter.
But his status with the WBC makes Wilder the most likely opponent for a strap, even if the champion himself is cool on the idea. In their hypothetical boxing betting odds, the sportsbooks make Whyte a narrow underdog, and that perhaps explains Wilder's reluctance.
However, the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has his own business to take care of with a rematch with Luis Ortiz scheduled for late 2019, before a probable second duel with Fury in the first half of next year.
For now, Whyte will need to remain patient… and focus his energies on clearing his name.
