Whyte sent WBC legal action letter

Controversy is never too far away from British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte. And on Monday, he stirred up more of it up with the confirmation that he’s taking legal action against the World Boxing Council.

Whyte is trying to make them mandate him as their number one challenger for the title that Tyson Fury currently holds.

Sky Sports reported Monday that the WBC and president Mauricio Sulaiman have confirmed that they are in receipt of a letter from White and his team demanding that he be given the title shot that he believes he’s been owed for almost two years:

WBC confirm @DillianWhyte has taken legal action against governing body about date of mandatory WBC title fight.

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) June 15, 2020

However, it isn’t that simple. This, as White lost his slot as the WBC mandatory contender last summer leading up to his non title fight in London with Oscar Rivas. That’s, when White failed a pre-fight drug test for performance enhancing drugs.

Whyte, and his promoter, Matchroom Boxing, did not disclose to Rivas that he had tested positive and cited the British Boxing Board of Control appeals policy for privacy as their reason why. Whyte had previously tested positive post fight for a banned substance in 2013 and been suspended.

Still, the fight went on and White registered a 12-round decision win over Rivas. However, the WBC moved him out of the way as top challenger for then champion, Deontay Wilder.

Wilder, instead fought WBC ranked contender Luis Ortiz in a rematch last November, knocked him out and then, rematched Tyson Fury for the WBC belt in February.

Fury stopped Wilder with a 7th round TKO, but Fury and Wilder had already both agreed to a third fight automatic rematch clause, no matter who had won. Wilder exercised that clause and the two were slated to have fought in July before the Covid-19 shutdown of the sport in March.

The Fury-Wilder is still scheduled to take place later this year, probably in November or December.

And, further complicating things, Matchroom Boxing and its promoter Hearn also promote Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua. And last week, they announced a two fight agreement to fight Tyson Fury. This after Joshua fights his IBF mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev. And then, the third Fury-Wilder fight happens

That’s where Whyte feels “left out of the process.”

Meanwhile, he is slated to fight former IBF champ (and former PED violator himself), Alexander Povetkin in August. That fight is slated to take place at Matchroom Boxing headquarters without fans, likely in August.

Sulaiman had previously publicly promised that White would be reinstated, as the WBC top challenger and receive a title shot by February of 2021.

But, obviously all of the above maneuvering, thrown off by the Coronavirus outbreak, as well as, the re-match of Fury-Wilder has angered White.

Importantly, there is no guarantee that any legal action will get White a title shot any sooner.

For now the 32 year old Brit continues to train nearby Portugal, where he has been for the last two months during a coronavirus pandemic. And he’s looking to solidify his standing with the opportunity to fight and beat Povetkin.