An anti-doping charge against Dillian Whyte has been dropped in a move that puts the heavyweight in line for a mandatory shot at the winner of the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch in February.
The World Boxing Council announced that it had lifted its provisional suspension of the 31-year-old Whyte, who was cleared of wrongdoing by UK Anti-Doping five days ago.
Whyte (27-1,18 KOs), who outpointed Mariusz Wach on Saturday on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. undercard in Saudi Arabia, tested for what was called “an adverse finding” in June. According to the UKAD, the test sample was contaminated.
“Based on limited but detailed research and information gathering, including the WBC’s consultation with two independent experts, the WBC found that there was no sufficient or conclusive evidence that Whyte intentionally, or even knowingly, ingested a banned substance with the purpose of enhancing his performance in any fashion,’’ the WBC said in a statement.
The WBC concluded the statement, saying: “Whyte shall become the Mandatory Challenger of the division immediately after Champion Deontay Wilder’s mandatory defense against current Mandatory Challenger Tyson Fury.”