ANTHONY JOSHUA was supposed to be fighting Dillian Whyte next weekend, but the fight will no longer take place.
A rivalry that stems back to 2009 when Whyte got the better of Joshua at amateur level, their third fight was supposed to be the decider.
AJ won the sequel and got revenge in 2015 when he KO’d the Brixton-brawler to win the British heavyweight title.
But fans WON’T get to see them square off for a third time as Joshua is now fighting Robert Helenius.
Why is Joshua vs Whyte 2 cancelled?
Joshua’s big clash won’t be happening because Whyte has failed a drugs test.
Matchroom released a statement which read: “Today, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed Matchroom, the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that Dillian Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol.
“In light of this news, the fight will be cancelled, and a full investigation will be conducted. Further information on the event will follow.”
SunSport understands TWO failed tests came back from Vada.
If they haven’t already, the B-samples for both failed tests will also be examined by VADA.
Former WBC heavyweight title challenger Whyte is no stranger to anti-doping controversies.
Whyte, 35, tested positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine after his 2012 victory over Sandor Balogh.
The substance found its way into Whyte’s system through a banned and since discontinued pre-workout supplement, which landed him a two-year suspension.
His second anti-doping violation occurred ahead of his interim WBC heavyweight title fight with Oscar Rivas in 2019.
One of his pre-fight tests returned traces of the banned anabolic steroid Dianabol.
But he was cleared by UKAD of intentionally taking the performance-enhancing drug due to the “extremely low” levels of the substance found in his system.
Will the event still go ahead?
Yes, the event will still go ahead as Joshua now has a new opponent.
Joshua will fight Robert Helenius, who Whyte and Deontay Wilder have previously beaten before.
Helenius was knocked out by Wilder last year in just one round but bounced back with a win just last weekend.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Joshua vs Helenius will be shown on DAZN in the UK.
- AJ’s fight with Whyte was originally going to be shown on DAZN PPV, but the decision has been made to make the Helenius fight part of your standard subscription.
- DAZN offer a monthly subscription for £9.99 which commits you to an entire year of action.
- Or, fans can pay an upfront fee of £99.99 and that will cover you for the whole year – plus it is the lowest cost option.
- Alternatively, there is a flexible pass worth £19.99 a month which can be canceled at any time.
- The event is available to live stream via your mobile or any tablet device where the DAZN app can be downloaded.
- Sky will also have fight coverage through channel 429 – the DAZN channel.
Who else is on the card?
- Derek Chisora vs Gerald Washington
- Filip Hrgovic vs. Demsey McKean
- Johnny Fisher vs. Harry Armstrong
- George Liddard vs. Radek Rousal
- Maisey Rose Courtney vs. Gemma Ruegg
- Campbell Hatton vs. Tom Ansell