Dillian Whyte

[Master]

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte says he is "relieved" that an investigation has shown his positive drugs test was caused by a contaminated supplement.

The 35-year-old's rematch against Anthony Joshua in August was cancelled after he returned "an adverse finding" from a test.

Whyte said he unintentionally ingested a banned substance.

"It's been really tough because I knew I was innocent," he told Sky Sports., external

Sky Sports says it has seen documentation from a forensic expert concluding that a nutritional supplement taken by Whyte did not disclose all of its ingredients, which included a prohibited substance.

Whyte said "more than 45 things" were tested, including toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant, to try and find the source of the contamination.

He said: "I'm relieved more than anything, but of course I'm angry as well because it's cost me so much.

"The most important thing is it cost me the chance to beat AJ. Everything else after that is secondary.

"I'm a private person and I had to open up my whole life to the investigation. To clear your name - that is the most important thing and that's what we've done."

The Texas Department of Licencing and Regulation, which licenses Whyte, has been contacted for comment.

Whyte beat compatriot Joshua by decision as an amateur in 2009 to start what became a bitter rivalry.

Joshua beat Whyte by seventh-round knockout in their 2015 professional bout.

Olympic gold medallist Joshua went on to become a two-time world champion, while Whyte lost his only world title challenge, against Tyson Fury in 2022.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68463808

[TIC]

they should just give up testing at this point

[X]

I think that was his fourth drug test failure …. He must be really unlucky with these, and I am relieved that justice has been found to be done.

[Memphis]

I wonder what the penalties are for starting up a supplement company that laces their supplements with 80's grade Eastern Block anabolic steroids, but only lists granola and chia seeds as an ingredient?

That's got to be an avenue worth pursuing right?

[Master]

"Francis is not experienced enough to beat the top guys. He got a bit complacent because he did well against Fury but Fury didn't take him seriously," Whyte told Sky Sports.

"Fury just thought he was going to outbox him and he gave Fury some problems but that was his undoing.
"I think that fight gave him false confidence to the point where, when he was getting hammered with big punches, he stayed in the pocket and he wasn't trying to move his head or hold or anything.

"He went down, stood up in the same place. Didn't move his head, went down, stood up in the same place and basically waited for the third right hand.

"So, I knew it was going to happen and I picked AJ to win anyway.

"AJ is a puncher and you don't just stand up in front of someone like AJ with your hands basically down and then switching stances mid-fight against a right-handed puncher. Why did he go southpaw? It didn't make any sense.

"I just knew that AJ's experience and his power would be too much. I thought Francis would be a little bit better, to be honest, but Francis... he's doing boxing, but it's not recognised boxing training so he hasn't covered the basics.

"Someone like AJ, an experienced gold medallist, all these world title fights, he covers the basics on a daily basis and that is where Francis came unstuck."

Whyte, who was originally linked with an Ngannou fight before Fury and Joshua, believes he would have inflicted a similar result.

"I tried to fight Ngannou four years ago," he said. "I would have definitely knocked him out. I said I would fight him in boxing and MMA.

"I always believed I could knock him out because the boxing ability isn't there.

"I think he is a good fighter but I don't think he is a good boxer.

"I believe I would have been able to find a hole, hit him with body shots, and catch him with right hands."

WBC champion Fury was watching from ringside ahead of a potential future fight with Joshua following his upcoming undisputed world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk on May 18.

"I think Tyson is always worried about punchers, or anyone that can knock him out, but the thing is, Tyson is nowhere near as raw as Ngannou is," said Whyte.

"As a professional world level boxer, it is kind of hard to take away anything from the fight because AJ has knocked out a massive puncher and a big guy but when you look at it strategically, from a boxing standpoint, there is nothing in it.

"You are talking about a world champion fighting someone at 'Southern Area' level. If that's 'Southern Area' level? Because some of the heavyweights at 'Southern Area' would beat him."

Whyte will return to the ring against Christian Hammer on Sunday, St. Patrick's Day, in Castlebar in the west of Ireland.

The former WBC interim champion has been cleared to continue his career after an investigation confirmed that a positive drug test was caused by a contaminated supplement before a rematch with Joshua was cancelled last August.

"I am very excited, it is very good to be back and I'll be looking at opportunities in the future," Whyte told Sky Sports.

"I have been meaning to return to Ireland for a while, I have got family from here and they can come down to the fight.

"Christian Hammer, he is a guy I know, tough guy. Experienced in a lot of fights. It's a very good fight, considering I have been off for 16 months. Very good fight to come back to.

"I still want the world title and I still want to fight all the big fights. There is a lot of big fights going on and I want my name to get back amongst the mix and to prove I can still beat these guys."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...013eadb4&ei=72

[Master]

Dillian Whyte says he has "been through a lot of hell" after making a winning return to the ring in Ireland.

The former WBC interim heavyweight champion secured his 30th career win when his opponent Christian Hammer failed to get up from his stool for the fourth round.

It was Whyte's first bout since since clearing his name of doping offences.

"Not a lot of people can go through what I've been through and come back again," he told Fight Connect TV.

Whyte was due to fight Anthony Joshua in August 2023 but the clash was cancelled after the 35-year-old Briton returned "an adverse finding" from a doping test.

He protested his innocence and was subsequently cleared when an investigation showed that his positive test was caused by a contaminated supplement.

In his first fight since a win over Jermaine Franklin at Wembley in November 2022, Whyte dominated the Romanian-born Hammer in Castlebar on St Patrick's Day.

The two fighters exchanged words after the referee was forced to stop the bout and Whyte called Hammer a "coward" during his post-fight interviews.

"I just want to fight again in about six to eight weeks time. I need to fight," he said.

Speaking to Boxing Social, he added: "I've been through a lot of hell, a lot of darkness and pent up frustration and aggression.

"Wherever I can be busy, then I'll go there and fight. I'm running out of time. I'm not getting any younger.

"I don't know what's next, I just want to fight. Let's see what happens."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68596757

[Mark TKO]

What?? When??

[Master]

What?? When??

I was just as surprised but it seems Dillian wants to stay busy even if that means not fighting on TV.