According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former world heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin will not be punished by the WBC after his positive drug test before his since-cancelled fight with Deontay Wilder.
“As a result of his injuries and surgeries, champion Wilder is expected to be inactive until some time in 2017,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement. “Deontay Wilder is confirmed as WBC heavyweight champion and will have the time to recover from his multiple injuries and surgeries. Wilder will retain his rights as champion, including the 70 percent advantage in case his mandatory bout needs to go to purse bid, once he returns to action.
“An interim championship is ordered between the two highest available contenders, No. 1 Alexander Povetkin and No. 2 Bermane Stiverne.”
Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing, Povetkin’s promoter, viewed the ruling as a victory for Povetkin.
“We won,” he wrote on social media. “Povetkin has been vindicated, and must now fight Stiverne because Wilder is injured. I’ll still keep up the legal action against Wilder’s team.”
