War of words erupts between Wilder and Povetkin camps over fight

May

Deontay Wilder nails Artur Szpilka. Photo: Naoki Fukuda

The WBC may have postponed next Saturday’s heavyweight title clash between champion Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin. But that hasn’t stopped a war of words from erupting between the fighter’s camps in the wake of Povetkin’s positive drug test for the banned endurance-enhancer meldonium.

The WBC issued a statement on Sunday on the postponement of the fight, scheduled at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow. That inspired Povetkin promoter Andrey Ryabinsky to declare on Twitter the fight will be shifted to another date, not canceled. “Fight Povetkin-Wilder moved,” he wrote on Sunday. “Takes place, but in a different date.”

Lou DiBella, who works with Wilder, took issue with Ryabinsky’s assertion the fight will still happen despite the positive drug test. “How can he announce that it’s taking place at a different date?” DiBella told RingTV.com. “I think he should really stop talking. The positive drug test and the breach of his contract has caused Deontay Wilder a tremendous amount of time and money and damage and right now any announcement of any rescheduling or anything like that is completely premature, and I think Mr. Ryabinsky should refrain from making these kinds of irresponsible comments. Right now, nothing else has been done or settled.”

Wilder responded to the WBC’s decision to postpone the fight on Sunday, expressing his displeasure. “I’m very disappointed,” Wilder said in a press release. “I had worked very hard to prepare myself for this important title defense. 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.”

A number of issues remain undecided. The WBC hasn’t ruled yet if Povetkin is still officially Wilder’s mandatory challenger to his WBC title. Povetkin, 36, should also face a lengthy suspension that would seem to preclude any chance of Wilder facing Povetkin in his next fight. There is also the matter of money. Wilder was due to make $4,504,500 and Povetkin $1,930,500 with the outstanding 10 percent ($715,000) for the winner. Now, the fight has been canceled and no one will get paid and a lawsuit is usually a remedy in these situations.

Wilder’s camp was livid over Povetkin’s positive result from a VADA-run drug test on April 27. Wilder skipped his morning flight to Moscow on Sunday, choosing instead to wait in Sheffield, England, where he had been training, for the WBC to rule on the fight. A short time later, the WBC issued a statement on the fight’s postponement.

“Keeping the priority of safety and also the principle of justice, the WBC will continue the investigation into the case,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in the press release. “Consequently, the event scheduled for May 21 in Moscow is hereby officially postponed. The WBC will be releasing more information in the coming days regarding the final ruling on the matter.”

Now, Wilder will return home to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and await further instruction from the WBC. Wilder is looking forward to one day unifying the heavyweight division. “This is a huge disappointment and a setback to my goals in boxing,” Wilder said. “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.”

Ryabinsky said on Sunday the May 21 card will still take place with the co-main event between cruiserweight titleholders Denis Lebedev and Victor Ramirez elevated to the main event.