Joshua vs Whyte battle canceled due to doping
On August 5, VADA said it had informed the Boxing Association and British Boxing Control Board that a "random doping test" conducted by Whyte had returned an adverse analysis result.
Therefore, VADA announced that the heavyweight fight between Whyte and compatriot Joshua scheduled at the O2 arena in London on August 12 has been canceled to continue the investigation process. VADA will continue to update the incident as new information becomes available.
About three hours later, by posting on social media, Whyte said he was shocked and devastated by the adverse findings from VADA. The 35-year-old boxer only learned this news in the morning and was disappointed that there was no chance to prove his innocence before VADA canceled his fight against Joshua. He emphasizes that he is pure, does not use banned substances during training or at any point in his life.
Whyte failed a doping test twice. The first was in 2012, when he received a two-year ban for testing positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine. The second time in July 2019, after Whyte beat Oscar Rivas by referee points to win the WBC heavyweight belt. However, Whyte's first sample had an "adverse finding", a term alluding to a positive prohibition, and was stripped of the belt. In December, he was vindicated and received the title back in front of the fight with Mariusz Wach.
Whyte is confident that he will continue to be vindicated in the face of the latest doping scandal. "It is not the first time that I have received reports of adverse results with a substance that I do not use. And as before, I will once again prove that I am completely innocent," emphasized the British boxer. "In the meantime, all I can do is express my disappointment to the boxing fans who will be missing out on the great fight."
Matchroom - the sports event promotion company currently run by manager Eddie Hearn - is looking for a replacement for Joshua. According to British newspaper Sunsport, Gerald Washington - who is expected to fight Derek Chisora also in the event at the O2 arena in London on August 12 - is the strongest candidate to replace Whyte.
VADA's ruling left Whyte disillusioned with his third rematch with Joshua. The two British boxers first met in 2009, when they were both amateurs. In this match, Whyte defeated his compatriots thanks to the referee's points.
Going professional, Joshua and Whyte fought on 12/12/2015 also at the O2 arena in London. This match, Joshua took revenge when he hit his uppercut on the chin, causing Whyte to collapse to the floor in the seventh round, thereby winning the technical knockout.
