Hearn: 80% Chance Whyte is on Ruiz/AJ Undercard
According Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn there is a very good chance that Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte (26-1, 18 KO’s) will be returning to action very soon. In an interview, conducted with SecondsOut, Hearn revealed that Whyte will likely fight on the undercard of Ruiz v Joshua 2. The Body Snatcher has not graced the ring since his July 20 prizefight with Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (26-1, 18 KO’s).
RED HERRING OR CAUGHT RED-HANDED?
In the wake of the bout with Rivas, Whyte found himself plunged into a very shady looking controversy. Apparently, prior to the match, Whyte was flagged by UKAD for failing a drug test. Despite the incriminating finding UKAD, the BBB of C and Dillian Whyte staged a secret emergency meeting where it was determined that Whyte could fight. Team Rivas was not made aware of this until after the prizefight.
Ever since this seemingly underhanded secret council, both Dillian Whyte and UKAD have remained silent as a prayer in a church for the deaf. Meanwhile, the boxing community has been told numerous times that an on-going investigation is still underway and we should just sit tight.
Quizzically, it appears each party has been very careful to never say that Dillian Whyte is ‘innocent’. This would hold true for Eddie Hearn in this most recent interview. When asked point-blank if the Body Snatcher was innocent of the charges Hearn swiftly side-stepped the question.
“I think if you’re not cleared of any wrong doing you wouldn’t be allowed to fight. They would never let you fight where they felt like you were taking performance enhancing drugs or your had something in your system that was performance enhancing.”
WHY ALL THE TOP SECRET PROCEDURE?
Personally, for this scribe, my biggest question is: If UKAD felt they had enough evidence to clear Whyte to fight Rivas well back in July, why has that material not come to light when it’s almost December? Inquiring minds want to know! Let him tell it, Eddie Hearn is just as mystified with the glacially slow process of UKAD.
“I don’t understand why these people take so long, personally. Especially again, with a case like Ryan Martin, with Eric Molina it was the same thing. With Tyson Fury, it was the same thing. So, I can’t tell you why they take so long because I don’t know. But this is a slightly different process where there actually has been an independent hearing. In those other cases it was just waiting, waiting, delay, delay and so forth.”
If Whyte is truthfully innocent of all charges then this is truly a tragic and regrettable situation. However, if the Body Snatcher is guilty of the drug use infraction then this will look terribly on him and UKAD. Both would, and should, lose a great deal of credibility and respect.
Sadly, for answer-craving fight fans, there does not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel. We shall simply have to continue waiting on this odd, tainted feeling bureaucratic process to run its course.
3kingsboxing will continue to following this vexing story line.
“I think it’s 80% likely he’ll return on the undercard, in a ten-round fight. And yeah, I think a very good chance. He needs to box, he hasn’t boxed since July 20 and I think it’s the perfect platform for him to do it.”
By: Bakari Simpson
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