Tweet
Inside the Dillian Whyte-Oscar Rivas controversy, from ultra-trace amounts of banned substances to unexpected gloves
https://theathletic.com/1099491/2019...s-controversy/
By Mike Coppinger
After being forced to fight without a title shot, despite being in the top position for over 600 days, the WBC sanctioned his bout with Oscar Rivas for its interim heavyweight title and stipulated that the winner would receive a title shot next year.
Whyte survived a rocky moment — a ninth-round knockdown — to edge Rivas on points in an action-packed brawl Saturday at the O2 in London. It seemed Whyte, 31, could now simply wait to see who would emerge victorious in 2020 rematch between WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
Then, the news hit. BoxingScene reported this week that Whyte tested positive for the banned substances epimethandienone and hydroxymethandienone, byproducts of the anabolic steroid dianabol. The report indicated the positive test was known in advance of the fight, leaving many questions.
Whyte’s A sample revealed the metabolites; his B sample hasn’t been tested yet. The collection date of the samples isn’t known.
One metabolite — 17-epimithandienone —was evident in Whyte’s system at a measurement of 0.9 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), an industry source told The Athletic. That’s nine-tenths of one part per billion, signifying an ultra-trace amount of the substance.
Another metabolite — 6B-hydroxymethandienone — was found at a measurement of 3.0 ng/ml, per source, which equals three parts per billion, also considered an ultra-trace amount.
Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s longtime promoter, told The Athletic on Thursday at the Maurice Hooker-Jose Ramirez news conference that the heavyweight contender was cleared by United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) and by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) to compete during a hearing that took place the week of the fight. (Hearn declined to reveal the date of the hearing.)
Rivas and his team, which include promoter Yvon Michel, were never notified that there was an adverse finding in Whyte’s system nor were they aware of a hearing prior to publication of the report, Rivas’ cutman, Russ Anber, told The Athletic. “Up to this moment, nobody on the concerned parties has confirmed or denied to us this information,” the Canadian promoter tweeted Thursday. Michel didn’t return a text message or phone call seeking comment.
Hearn felt no obligation to report the finding after Whyte was cleared to fight at the hearing, where he was questioned and provided information.
“Whether you agree with the decision or don’t agree with the decision (to let Whyte fight), they’re the governing body,” Hearn said. “If you have an issue with that, speak to them.”
Whyte and Rivas also underwent advanced testing conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association as mandated by the WBC. Those results haven’t been revealed yet, though Hearn claims Whyte passed a pre-fight test conducted by VADA. When an athlete flunks a VADA test, the organization notifies all parties involved.
This isn’t the first time a fight was allowed to go through despite a positive result that was known in advance. Hall of Famer Erik Morales failed a drug test after clenbuterol was found in his system, but his 2012 rematch with Danny Garcia proceeded.
“Let the truth come out before you make decisions based on a BoxingScene article,” Hearn pleaded. “What you need to know is this was heard prior to the fight, it wasn’t swept under the carpet. There was a hearing, he was cleared and the fight took place.”
This isn’t the first time Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) is under the microscope related to performance-enhancing substances. He tested positive for methylhexaneamine after a fourth-round knockout of Sandor Balogh in October 2012 and was subsequently suspended two years.
What punishment Whyte faces if any, moving forward remains up in the air and is in the hands of UKAD and the BBBoC.
"I am so disappointed with the rubbish that has been said about me over the last few days,” Whyte said Friday in a statement released on his social media platforms. “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.”
Even in trace amounts, two metabolites were found in Whyte’s system. The BBBoC observes the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) rules — the organization that oversees drug law for the Olympic Games — which state that an athlete is responsible for what enters its body regardless of how it got there under Rule 10.
Victor Conte, who founded the infamous Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) and served time in prison for supplying designer performance-enhancing substances to world-class athletes, says the evidence of multiple metabolites in Whyte’s system confirms he was exposed to a drug.
Now, the question that remains is just how those Dianabol metabolites entered Whyte’s system.
“If he was unwittingly exposed to (a PED) with no intent to cheat, he’ll have to pay the price,” Conte, who now supervises the nutrition of many top boxers under his Bay Area-based SNAC brand, told The Athletic during a phone interview Friday. Conte says he doesn’t like the rule since it allows for the possibility that someone is penalized who did nothing wrong, “and that’s not right.”
A positive test under the WADA code is qualitative rather than quantitative, Conte observed. “You’re guilty until proven innocent; you must provide evidence,” he said.
Whyte hasn’t shined any light yet on how the substances entered his body. He didn’t return a text message seeking comment.
The BBBoC released the following non-statement in response to the events: “With regard to the above, United Kingdom Anti-Doping undertake all anti-doping procedures on behalf of the British Boxing Board of Control and any subsequent findings, decisions, suspensions and sanctions are upheld by the British Boxing Board of Control in line with United Kingdom Anti-Doping.
“No further comment will be made at this time.”
https://theathletic.com/1099491/2019...s-controversy/
By Mike Coppinger
After being forced to fight without a title shot, despite being in the top position for over 600 days, the WBC sanctioned his bout with Oscar Rivas for its interim heavyweight title and stipulated that the winner would receive a title shot next year.
Whyte survived a rocky moment — a ninth-round knockdown — to edge Rivas on points in an action-packed brawl Saturday at the O2 in London. It seemed Whyte, 31, could now simply wait to see who would emerge victorious in 2020 rematch between WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
Then, the news hit. BoxingScene reported this week that Whyte tested positive for the banned substances epimethandienone and hydroxymethandienone, byproducts of the anabolic steroid dianabol. The report indicated the positive test was known in advance of the fight, leaving many questions.
Whyte’s A sample revealed the metabolites; his B sample hasn’t been tested yet. The collection date of the samples isn’t known.
One metabolite — 17-epimithandienone —was evident in Whyte’s system at a measurement of 0.9 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), an industry source told The Athletic. That’s nine-tenths of one part per billion, signifying an ultra-trace amount of the substance.
Another metabolite — 6B-hydroxymethandienone — was found at a measurement of 3.0 ng/ml, per source, which equals three parts per billion, also considered an ultra-trace amount.
Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s longtime promoter, told The Athletic on Thursday at the Maurice Hooker-Jose Ramirez news conference that the heavyweight contender was cleared by United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) and by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) to compete during a hearing that took place the week of the fight. (Hearn declined to reveal the date of the hearing.)
Rivas and his team, which include promoter Yvon Michel, were never notified that there was an adverse finding in Whyte’s system nor were they aware of a hearing prior to publication of the report, Rivas’ cutman, Russ Anber, told The Athletic. “Up to this moment, nobody on the concerned parties has confirmed or denied to us this information,” the Canadian promoter tweeted Thursday. Michel didn’t return a text message or phone call seeking comment.
Hearn felt no obligation to report the finding after Whyte was cleared to fight at the hearing, where he was questioned and provided information.
“Whether you agree with the decision or don’t agree with the decision (to let Whyte fight), they’re the governing body,” Hearn said. “If you have an issue with that, speak to them.”
Whyte and Rivas also underwent advanced testing conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association as mandated by the WBC. Those results haven’t been revealed yet, though Hearn claims Whyte passed a pre-fight test conducted by VADA. When an athlete flunks a VADA test, the organization notifies all parties involved.
This isn’t the first time a fight was allowed to go through despite a positive result that was known in advance. Hall of Famer Erik Morales failed a drug test after clenbuterol was found in his system, but his 2012 rematch with Danny Garcia proceeded.
“Let the truth come out before you make decisions based on a BoxingScene article,” Hearn pleaded. “What you need to know is this was heard prior to the fight, it wasn’t swept under the carpet. There was a hearing, he was cleared and the fight took place.”
This isn’t the first time Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) is under the microscope related to performance-enhancing substances. He tested positive for methylhexaneamine after a fourth-round knockout of Sandor Balogh in October 2012 and was subsequently suspended two years.
What punishment Whyte faces if any, moving forward remains up in the air and is in the hands of UKAD and the BBBoC.
"I am so disappointed with the rubbish that has been said about me over the last few days,” Whyte said Friday in a statement released on his social media platforms. “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.”
Even in trace amounts, two metabolites were found in Whyte’s system. The BBBoC observes the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) rules — the organization that oversees drug law for the Olympic Games — which state that an athlete is responsible for what enters its body regardless of how it got there under Rule 10.
Victor Conte, who founded the infamous Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) and served time in prison for supplying designer performance-enhancing substances to world-class athletes, says the evidence of multiple metabolites in Whyte’s system confirms he was exposed to a drug.
Now, the question that remains is just how those Dianabol metabolites entered Whyte’s system.
“If he was unwittingly exposed to (a PED) with no intent to cheat, he’ll have to pay the price,” Conte, who now supervises the nutrition of many top boxers under his Bay Area-based SNAC brand, told The Athletic during a phone interview Friday. Conte says he doesn’t like the rule since it allows for the possibility that someone is penalized who did nothing wrong, “and that’s not right.”
A positive test under the WADA code is qualitative rather than quantitative, Conte observed. “You’re guilty until proven innocent; you must provide evidence,” he said.
Whyte hasn’t shined any light yet on how the substances entered his body. He didn’t return a text message seeking comment.
The BBBoC released the following non-statement in response to the events: “With regard to the above, United Kingdom Anti-Doping undertake all anti-doping procedures on behalf of the British Boxing Board of Control and any subsequent findings, decisions, suspensions and sanctions are upheld by the British Boxing Board of Control in line with United Kingdom Anti-Doping.
“No further comment will be made at this time.”
Comment