'I was surprised' - Eddie Hearn on "Adverse Findings" in Whyte's Drug Testing
Eddie Hearn, the promoter of former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, has expressed that the possibility of a rematch between Joshua and Dillian Whyte seems unlikely to ever happen. In 2015, Joshua defeated Whyte by knockout in the seventh round. The scheduled rematch, set to take place this Saturday at London's O2 Arena, had to be canceled due to "adverse findings" in Whyte's drug testing conducted by VADA. These findings were revealed by Hearn through social media last Saturday. As a result, Whyte has been replaced by Robert Helenius for the upcoming fight. In an interview with IFL TV, Hearn disclosed that Whyte tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug but couldn't provide specific details due to legal constraints from Whyte's team. When asked if the rematch might happen in the future, Hearn confirmed that the chances were slim. Hearn explained that handling such a situation involves a lengthy process, citing the case of Conor Benn and his positive drug tests. He emphasized that at the age of 35, it might be challenging for Whyte to navigate this process successfully. Hearn expressed his surprise at the situation, given Whyte's previous meticulous approach to his training. He acknowledged that while people want to believe in those who test positive, it's a matter that needs to be addressed seriously.
"Yeah, I think so. I don't know what Dillian is gonna do or how he's gonna go about this situation - but it's a huge, huge fight on his hands. We've been a year, over a year, in process with Conor Benn [and his positive drug tests]. He's now been reinstated in the WBC rankings, he's had his suspension lifted and cleared by UKAD and we're just coming out the other side of it.. you know, 12 or 13 months on," Hearn explained to Boxing With Chris Mannix. "You can imagine that Dillian Whyte has to go through a similar process with a different set of results and analysis that we've seen. And at that age [of 35], you know, is that a process that [Whyte] can come through the other side of. "We wish him all the best. And again, I was surprised. You always believe and you want to believe in those people [who test positive]. It's not something that I would expect from him, knowing the meticulous way that he goes about his work and how careful he is after previous incidences that he was exonerated for, but you also can't ignore it and it has to be dealt with."This incident marks the third drug testing controversy in Whyte's career. He faced a two-year ban in 2012 due to a positive drug test and had another positive test in 2019, although he was later cleared of those charges by UKAD.
