Heavyweight Division

[NakiFan]

Oh dear....

https://twitter.com/danrafaelespn/status/731164546518290432

[NakiFan]

Following up that tweet is this from the promoter...

Promoter Andrei Ryabinsky tells Russia's state Tass news agency that Povetkin tested positive for meldonium, the same substance found in Maria Sharapova's sample at the Australian Open.
Ryabinsky says Povetkin took meldonium last year but stopped before it was banned on Jan. 1, and only "leftover traces of meldonium at a very low concentration" were found in a blood sample given by Povetkin last month.


Athletes in several sports have avoided suspensions for meldonium positives under new World Anti-Doping Agency guidance issued in April if the concentration of the banned heart drug is low enough to indicate they did not take it after Jan. 1.

Povetkin and Wilder are due to fight next week in Moscow.

[craigyid14]

This is actually great news for Wilder, I think he would of lost and pretty handily. Now he's still 'champ' and he showed he had the balls to go fight Potvekin in Russia, back to defending against B and C grade heavies in America - keeping the hype alive. I was always thinking Potvekin might be taking something. He's always been a podgy fella and towards the end of his career he's put on loads of muscle, you don't become a great trainer so late into your career.

[diehard]

Povetkin fails drug test

WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin voluntarily agreed to the WBC Clean Boxing Program and to be tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in connection with their upcoming May 21 WBC world heavyweight championship. Today, VADA reported to the WBC and the fighters’ camps the results of an anti-doping test Povetkin underwent from a sample collected on April 27. VADA’s report states that Povetkin’s sample A showed an adverse result for the banned substance Meldonium. The WBC also received specific information from the World Anti-Doping Agency about such substance Meldonium, which was added to the banned list this year. The substance is classified by WADA as a metabolic modulator. Tennis star Maria Sharapova was suspended after Meldonium was found in her system.

The WBC is conducting an in-depth investigation of this matter and will make a public announcement in the very near future concerning the results of its investigation and any appropriate steps that it will take.

[diehard]

Hate to see this, as it would have been a good fight. This is the same drug that Maria Sharapova used:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meldonium

[The Fly]

I also read Hughie turned down the Whyte fight

[NakiFan]

Whyte seemed to be ok with it. Seems the Fury camp and Whyte are quite chummy. Tweets were exchanged between Whyte and Peter Fury saying as much. Whyte tweeted to Chisora to get it on.

[diehard]

Andy Ruiz stops Ray Austin in four

Unbeaten heavyweight Andy Ruiz (27-0, 18 KOs) returned to action with an impressive fourth round TKO over former world title challenger Ray “The Rainman” Austin (29-7-4, 18 KOs) on Saturday night at the Sportsman’s Lodge in Studio City, California. Ruiz dropped Austin at the end of round one and punished him for four one-sided rounds. The 45-year-old “Rainman” didn’t come out for round five.

Unbeaten 2012 Olympic middleweight silver medalist Esquiva Falcao moved to 15-0 with 11 KOs after a fourth round stoppage of Paul Valenzuela (9-3-1, 6 KOs). The bout was halted due to a cut over Venezuela’s right eye.

Hot junior welterweight prospect Maxim Dadashev (2-0, 2 KOs) stopped Rashad Bogar (4-7-1, 2 KOs) in the fourth round to win in his Top Rank debut after recently signing.

[NakiFan]

http://www.boxingscene.com/wilder-vs-povetkin-heavyweight-title-fight-officially-postponed--104609

[diehard]

Deontay Wilder Official Statement

In the wake of the news on Friday that Alexander Povetkin tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder and his representatives have been made aware of the WBC’s decision on Sunday that the fight will not occur in Moscow on May 21.

“I’m very disappointed that due to Povetkin’s failed drug test the fight is not going to happen on May 21 in Moscow,” said Deontay Wilder. “I had worked very hard to prepare myself for this important title defense, spending the last two weeks training in England to get accustomed to fighting in Europe. I wanted to give the fans a great show, but we understand the WBC’s position that the fight occur on an even playing field.”

The 30-year-old Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) and his team were supposed to fly to Moscow on Sunday for a week of preparation and promotion leading up to the fight. Now, Wilder will return home to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and await further information from the WBC.

“This is a huge disappointment and a setback to my goals in boxing. I want to be an active heavyweight champion and it is still my goal to collect all the belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Wilder said.