Dillian Whyte’s rematch vs Anthony Joshua at London’s O2 Arena has been cancelled after the former returned ‘adverse analytical findings’ following a random anti-doping test a week before the fight.

It is currently unclear at this point whether or not a fight will go ahead with a replacement opponent for Joshua but reports have suggested Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn is now looking for a stand-in fighter to enter the ring against the former world champion.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) informed Matchroom and boxing authorities of the test result, leading to a statement from the fight promoters:

“In light of this news, the fight has been cancelled, and a full investigation will be conducted.”

Joshua and Whyte have a long-standing rivalry dating back to amateur boxing before Joshua went on to win an Olympic gold medal at London 2012 and a heavyweight title bout in 2015 where ‘AJ’ won by a seventh-round stoppage.

BREAKING..more updates to follow shortly. pic.twitter.com/cnKFqYgIVV

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 5, 2023

Many fans of the sport have expressed concern about the current state of British boxing and this certainly puts a dent in Joshua’s dream plan to fight Whyte followed by Deontay Wilder and then Tyson Fury in the heavyweight division.

If a replacement can’t be found for next Saturday’s card, it is likely that the 33-year-old will wait to fight Wilder in the Middle East next January.

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