By Carlos Boogs
British heavyweight Dillian Whyte (16-1, 13KOs) wants some consistency when it comes to the consequences regarding a failed drug test.
Since the start of the year, numerous fighters have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Whyte himself is no stranger to the subject. He suffered through a two-year ban after taking an over the counter workout aid, which contained a banned substance. He used a popular pre-workout shake mix called Jack3D.
After his victory over Hungary's Sandor Balogh in October of 2012, he tested positive for banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine (MHA). The UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) issued a two year suspension on Whyte from November 5, 2012 to November 5, 2014.
Whyte tried to appeal the suspension, but UKAD rejected - faulting him for not doing enough to check the supplement's ingredients
The company behind Jack3D is now in hot water for deceiving their customers and the stores which sold their products.
Last year the U.S. Justice Department announced that USPlabs, which sold Jack3d, and six of its executives would face criminal charges for the unlawful sale of nutritional supplements. The indictment says that USPlabs LLC used a synthetic stimulant made in China to make Jack3d, but told retailers that the supplements were manufactured from plant extracts. The supplements had $400 million in sales between 2008 and 2013, according to the indictment.
Whyte is not alone. Several current fighters in the heavyweight division, like Luis Ortiz, Lucas Browne and most recently Alexander Povetkin have all tested positive for banned substances.
Ortiz received an eight month suspension for Nandrolone, a strong anabolic steroid. Browne received a six month ban for Clenbuterol, a popular supplement among bodybuilders. And Povetkin's punishment, if any, has yet to be decided after testing positive for Meldonium, a popular supplement used to increase blood flow for stamina purposes.
Whyte feels there should be an even playing field when it comes to punishing fighters for taking banned substances.
"The whole drug testing and drug thing is a very shady gray area. I got banned for two years for taking an over the counter supplement. Lucas Browne got done for steroids and got six months. There is no consistency," Whyte told BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.
"I think it's crap. I got done for a pre-workout drink - two years. Lucas Browne, an anabolic steroid - six months. Other guys - five months, three months. I'm sure Povetkin will probably get six. The whole drug testing thing, they just need to find some consistency."
