By Jack Figg & Stuart Atkins
DILLIAN WHYTE is NOT suspended by the WBC – but remains stripped of his interim world title and mandatory status.
The Brixton banger had an “adverse finding” in his pre-fight drug test prior to beating Oscar Rivas in July.
However, the 31-year-old was cleared to box by the British Board of Boxing Control – while the WBC and Rivas were not made aware of the doping red flag.
The WBC acted by stripping Whyte of the interim title he won against Rivas, which then resulted in him losing his position as mandatory challenger for Deontay Wilder’s belt.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed to the Pound For Pound podcast the Brit is not suspended – and can be reinstated as mandatory if his B-sample comes back clear.
Sulaiman said: “At this moment I want to clarify that the WBC did not suspend Dillian Whyte.
“The WBC suspended the situation regarding the interim championship and mandatory status of the division.
“Dillian Whyte was not suspended. Dillian Whyte has the right to go through a process which is regarding the adverse finding.
“If the ruling comes out in that respect then he will be confirmed as interim champion and mandatory contender.”
Whyte did pass all of the tests taken by the US-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency, before and after his points win over Rivas at the O2 Arena.
But there was a red flag in his UK Anti Doping sample taken on June 17 that still needs to be explained.
Whyte faces a battle to prove how the small traces of the banned steroid by-product got in his system.
The heavyweight is expected to lean heavily on the fact his highly-respect Vada tests showed no abnormalities but he will have to show conclusively how the contamination occurred to be totally exonerated.
Ukad are meanwhile still waiting on the results of the B-sample they took from Whyte.
Whyte, Ukad and the BBoBC are now all abiding to a strict but frustrating confidentiality agreement in their contracts.
Article courtesy of The Sun
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