News arrived on Saturday, August 5, of adverse analytical findings found by VADA after Dillian Whyte was subject to a random drug test. Both Matchroom (Whyte’s promoter for this fight) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) were informed of this failed test. As a result, his match with Anthony Joshua was canceled, and Joshua’s team are been looking for a new potential opponent for Joshua to face on August 12.
Despite the reports suggesting a clear-cut case of British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte (29-3, 19 KO’s) failing a drug test, there seems to be a lot more at play. David Haye, one of the most well-known and accomplished British boxers in the sport’s history, has alleged that he knew Whyte would face a test a week before the failure was announced, and that Derek Chisora (33-13, 23 KO’s) ― who was set to fight on the same August 12 card ― was preparing himself for fighting Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KO’s) rather than his currently scheduled opponent, Gerald Washington (20-5-1, 13 KO’s).
“Derek told me a week ago that Dillian was gonna fail a drug test,” David Haye shockingly admitted in an interview with Seconds Out.
“I didn’t pay much mind to it. He’s telling me he’s fighting AJ, a week ago, said to keep it to myself, but I think the news is out there now that Dillian’s not the man that’s gonna be in the ring with AJ on August 12th, and Derek’s been training for that fight.” Haye continued.
“He’s brought the same camp in, the same team, that London shoot that he had for the Usyk fight. He hasn’t done that since the Usyk fight. He knows he’s gonna need another Usyk performance.“
The information that came out of David Haye is shocking, to say the least. Though his info doesn’t verify whether Whyte intentionally used illegal substances or not, enough of what Haye said suggests that there might have been foul play involved that led to an ‘adverse finding’ in the test.
More notably, it has yet to be revealed what Whyte actually failed for. Although it is standard procedure for the banned substance to be announced when a test is failed, the specific substance found in Whyte’s system has not been revealed.
There is no way to verify David Haye’s claims, but it doesn’t bode well in the slightest for Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn. Dillian Whyte, a fighter who has fought so many times with Matchroom that he would be considered an integral part of the promotion, would be factually an easy target to sabotage if what Haye said was true.
If Whyte is found guilty of the intentional use of PEDs, he will likely face a ban that can last for years, given this is the third time he has failed a drug test as a professional boxer. Whyte also failed a drug test during his kickboxing career, which occurred before he became a boxer.
Though Whyte will face heavy punishment if he is found guilty for using performance-enhancing drugs. David Haye’s words, which hinted at Matchroom’s involvement in these ‘adverse findings’, could have serious implications for the promotion, which will have a lot of explaining to do in the upcoming week.
Though the match between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte has been canceled, the latter has not yet been suspended, and a full investigation is still pending on the matter.
Since the news has come out, Dillian Whyte has also claimed his innocence on any wrongdoing.
“I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by VADA of adverse findings relating to me. I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it.” Dillian Whyte said in an official statement released through social media.
“I have also just seen that the fight is being cancelled without having any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision was taken.
“I can confirm without a shadow of doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life.
“I am completely innocent and ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by media.”
Whyte further went on to elaborate as to why he should be presumed innocent:
“I insisted on 24/7 VADA testing for this fight, as I have done voluntarily and at my own expense for all of my fights for many, many years.
“This is not the first time that I have been reported as having an adverse finding for a substance which I have not taken, and as I did last time I will again prove that I am completely innocent.
“In the meantime, all I can do is express my extreme disappointment to boxing fans, who will miss out on what was surely a great event.” Whyte closed.
Though Dillian Whyte claimed he was proved innocent for an earlier case of potential doping, this is not actually the case. In 2019, after Whyte fought Oscar Rivas on July 20th, Whyte went through a similar circumstance as now where he was reported to have failed a drug test though the substance he supposedly failed on was never revealed.
The case was never actually handled. There was supposed to be a B-sample that had to be tested to confirm the use of banned substances, but that B-sample was never tested as far as is known. The contaminated sample was also discovered prior to Whyte’s fight with Rivas, yet the UKAD fully cleared Whyte to fight the Colombian heavyweight.
With no official announcement by the BBBofC or UKAD on this current incident with Dillian Whyte, it is unknown as to why Whyte was removed from his planned August 5th bout with Anthony Joshua but not Oscar Rivas four years ago. With no suspension or ban having been placed on Whyte, it is also rather unclear as to whether Matchroom removed Whyte from the bout with Joshua of their own volition, or whether they did so at the direction of the BBBofC who sanctions every British professional boxing match and would have the authority to demand Whyte’s removal.
The presumption is that Matchroom initiated Whyte’s removal from the card themselves without verifying whether Whyte would be cleared to fight, unlike what they did previously in 2019 by allowing Dilian Whyte to face Oscar Rivas despite a failed test.
