Dillian Whyte: Eddie Hearn hits out at WBC for suspending British boxer over ‘failed drugs test’ result

British boxer has been suspended by the WBC but his promoter believes they have no right to do so until the full details of his pre-fight drugs test earlier this month are released

Eddie Hearn has hit out at the World Boxing Council for choosing to suspend Dillian Whyte following his alleged failed drugs test.

Whyte faces an uncertain future after a drugs test taken days before his last fight with Oscar Rivas returned an adverse analytical finding, which result in a UK Anti-Doping hearing taking place on the morning of the bout to clarify if the British boxer could fight or not.

It was determined that Whyte would not be suspended for the 17 July test result, and he was cleared to fight and beat Rivas on Saturday 20 July, despite his ‘B Sample’ still needing to be tested.

Both Whyte and Hearn have been criticised in the wake of the news though, with rival promoter Frank Warren and WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder among their most vocal critics, and the governing body took the decision to suspend Whyte as their silver champion and mandatory challenger to Wilder’s title on Tuesday night.

Hearn has now responded to that decision, and having already been frustrated with Whyte’s failure to be handed a world title shot despite spending more than 600 days as mandatory challenger, he suggested that an agenda may be behind their decision.

“I don’t think they’ve been fair to Dillian Whyte from start to finish,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “I mean the whole situation is a nightmare whatever way you look at it, and Dillian Whyte now is working to make sure that his name is cleared

“Right now, he’s not suspended by anyone. Not Ukad, not the British Boxing Board of Control, he’s cleared to fight and he was cleared to fight against Oscar Rivas. Why he should be suspended by the WBC without any information is beyond me, but he was treated quite unfairly by them for many years and I don’t know ... agendas ... I don’t know.

“It’s a bad situation all round and Dillian Whyte and his team will be working to do what he has to do now: clear his name and make sure he convinces everybody who thinks he’s guilty that he’s not. We live in an age where you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, right now I think he’s guilty til proven innocent. So that’s his job that effectively he’s fighting for his career.”

He added: "Whyte is in the process of clearing his name. He could fight on Saturday if he wanted to. He is not suspended. He is cleared to box.

"It took 600 days for him to become mandatory - it was a struggle. But they have moved very fast to suspend [his status as mandatory challenger] without getting all of the facts."

(PA (PA)

Hearn has been adamant that Whyte was cleared to fight by Ukad and added that “it doesn’t add up” about the test result due to Whyte’s vocal stance against doping in boxing, although he has served a two-year ban previously after testing positive for a banned substance that was found in an over-the-counter pre-workout formula named ‘Jack3d’.

"There was an independent hearing and he was cleared to box after providing evidence,” Hearn added. “Ask yourself why. Maybe the evidence that was provided was sufficient enough to prove he may be innocent.

"Give him a chance to prove that. Let the facts come out.

"Whyte has to convince everybody who thinks he is guilty that he is not.

"That process is handled by Whyte and his lawyers. They are working to make sure his name is cleared, and the truth comes out.

"We have a strict policy that anyone who has knowingly cheated should be banned from the sport."

Whyte has kept silent on the matter beyond a single Twitter statement, which read: “I am so disappointed with the rubbish that has been said about me over the last few days.

“I have lawyers dealing with it and I have been told that I can't talk about it for good legal reasons.

“I was cleared to fight and I won that fight fair and square. Thanks for the support.”