By Vadim Pushkin
According to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, his organization will open Alexander Povetkin's B-sample on February 1.
Last month, the World Boxing Council announced that Povetkin's B-sample, in connection to his VADA drug test on December 6th, would be opened on Thursday, January 5th, at a lab in Los Angeles, California. That procedure was not conducted as planned.
Last month in Russia, Povetkin was scheduled to face Bermane Stiverne in a WBC final eliminator. A few hours before the event was scheduled to start, the World Boxing Council announced that Povetkin had tested positive for banned substance osterine - which has the same effects as anabolic steroids.
Stiverne refused to go forward with the fight after the WBC refused to sanction the contest due to Povetkin's positive test. The event was not canceled, as Johann Duhaupas stepped in as a late-replacement and was brutally knocked out in six rounds.
"The representatives of theWBC had informedPovetkin that they will not be able to attend on the designated date, January 5, and asked to change the date on when the B-sample would be opened. Having said this, the opening will take place on February 1st. Povetkin is still under suspicion until the opening of the B-Sample, and according to the rules ofWBC - he will not be included in our ratings until a withdrawal of the charges," said Sulaiman to Margarita Yakupov.
This marked the second time in seven months that Povetkin tested positive for a banned substance. Back in May 2016, Povetkin failed a drug test just a few days before his scheduled bout with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. The fight was ultimately canceled.
A few weeks after the canceled fight, Wilder and his promoter Lou DiBella filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Povetkin and promoter Andrei Rybinsky in Manhattan federal court. Ryabinsky filed a counter-suit for defamation.
