British heavyweight Dillian Whyte appears to be back on track to competing in the heavyweight division following an approximate thirty-second training clip he posted on his Instagram account accompanied with a caption of him coming back.
The normally ever-present Dillian Whyte’s (29-3, 16 KO’s) notably disappeared from the public eye following his failed drug test last August―which led to his removal from a scheduled bout against Anthony Joshua, but his latest social media post has now heavily hinted at his return to the ring.
It is currently unknown whether Whyte’s absence had anything to do with a suspension or ban as no particular reports indicated Whyte would face repercussions following the revelation of his failed drug test last year.
Global anti-doping agency VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) had been the organization that first discovered the ‘adverse finding’ that found an illegal substance within Dillian Whyte, however the substance itself was never revealed, and as Whyte did not have a BBBofC British license at the time, his approximate six-month sabbatical outside of the ring appears to have been self-prompted.
The lack of clarity surrounding Whyte’s status shows keen similarities to a similar case of drug test he failed in 2019 following his July 20th victory over Colombian heavyweight Oscar Rivas (28-1, 19 KO’s), with the substance he tested positive for remaining unknown. Whyte was eventually cleared by UKAD (UK Anti-Doping Agency) who clarified his positive drug test of having occurred due to contamination following a thorough investigation.
This time around, there has been no indication on whether the UKAD charged Whyte like they had done previously in 2019, thus casting a veil of mystery and uncertainty over his latest positive drug case.
In the near-thirty second clip that Dillian Whyte posted, he left no clues as to the circumstances of his case and instead showcased himself in a video of a training montage that featured a collaboration with Proactive Sports Performance―a company focused on providing off-season physical training and therapy for professional athletes.
With the video accompanied by a caption of, “The Body Snatcher is Back. Coming Soon…“, Dillian Whyte has subtly announced his return to boxing. While no future opponents have been revealed yet, Whyte appears to be in training and will be expected to make an announcement in the near future. With the heavyweight division harboring plenty of names that Whyte could fight, there are plenty of opportunities for the British fighter to take advantage of if he is truly able and/or allowed to fight.