Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has officially had his status with the WBC reinstated.
The heavyweight, who outpointed Oscar Rivas back in July to claim the sanctioning body’s interim title, was provisionally suspended of his status after an adverse finding in one of his June drug tests with UK Anti-Doping.
Last Friday, Whyte was cleared of any wrongdoing by UKAD and the company dropped an anti-doping violation charge made against the 31-year-old.
Three days before the contest with Rivas, UKAD had advised the boxer that two metabolites of a banned substance were discovered in a June testing sample. UKAD conducted an investigation and ultimately determined that Whyte’s adverse test was the result of contamination – which BoxingScene indicated was a possibility due to the metabolite levels being very small.
UKAD’s ruling came on the eve of Whyte’s ring return, on December 7, at the Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN.
Whyte outpointed Mariusz Wach over 10 rounds, as part of the supporting cast to Anthony Joshua’s recapturing of the WBA Super, IBF, IBO and WBO world heavyweight titles against Andy Ruiz Jr., coming away with verdicts of 98-93, 97-93 & 97-93.
Since ‘The Body Snatcher’ is once again the WBC’s interim world heavyweight champion, he is also the mandatory challenger to the full title, currently held by Deontay Wilder.
The aforementioned Wilder is planning a February 22, 2020 rematch against Tyson Fury at a venue to be confirmed in Las Vegas, so Whyte – who has been ranked at number one by the sanctioning body since October 2017 – is now closer than ever to fighting for the full belt.
According to the WBC, the Wilder vs. Fury winner must face Whyte on or before February of 2021.
WBC DECISION ON DILLIAN WHYTE
On July 20, 2019, Dillian Whyte defeated Oscar Rivas conquering the WBC Interim Heavyweight World Championship. A few days later, a news report made public that an out-of-competition urine sample collected by UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) on June 20, 2019 from Dillian Whyte had yielded an adverse finding. In light of that adverse finding, and pending the outcome of the WBC’s own investigation and adjudicatory process, on July 30, 2019, the WBC provisionally suspended its recognition of Dillian Whyte as WBC Interim World Heavyweight Champion and Mandatory Challenger of the division.
On December 6, 2019, UKAD made a public announcement withdrawing its charge against Dillian Whyte.
Based on limited but detailed research and information gathering, including the WBC’s consultation with two independent experts, the WBC found that there was no sufficient or conclusive evidence that Whyte intentionally, or even knowingly, ingested a banned substance with the purpose of enhancing his performance in any fashion. In light of the WBC’s own finding and of UKAD’s withdrawal of the claim against Mr. Whyte, the WBC has closed its internal investigation.
The WBC is hereby lifting its provisional suspension and confirming its recognition of Mr. Whyte as WBC Interim World Heavyweight Champion.
Consistent with the WBC Board of Governors’ Ruling at last October’s 57th WBC Annual Convention, Interim Champion Whyte shall become the Mandatory Challenger of the division immediately after Champion Deontay Wilder’s mandatory defense against current Mandatory Challenger Tyson Fury, with the mandatory defense against Whyte being due on or about February of 2021.
–boxingscene.com
