by Igor Lazorin, tass

World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman has paid very close attention to the recent ruling handed down by WADA [World Anti Doping Agency] as it relates to the recently banned substance Meldonium. WADA placed that substance on the banned list on January 1.

WADA issued a ruling which basically stated that any athlete found with less than one microgram of Meldonium in samples taken prior to October 1, 2016 will not be punished.

The drug in question is at the center of the ongoing controversy with the postponed heavyweight showdown between WBC champion Deontay Wilder and mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.

Povetkin was scheduled to face Wilder on May 21 in Moscow before the Russian fighter tested positive for a minor trace of Meldonium, and that forced the WBC to postpone the fight indefinitely for an investigation. Povetkin was tested on May 17th by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and came up clean. He also tested negative in three tests prior to the failure in question.

Wilder was cleared to make a voluntary defense by the WBC and he is now scheduled to defend his belt against Chris Arreola on July 16th in Birmingham, Alabama.

Povetkin, his doctor and his legal team met with the WBC earlier this week to discuss the matter. There are also lawsuits that were filed by both sides, with each camp looking for millions of dollars in damages as a result of the canceled event.

The lawsuit are likely to play out for several months, but the WBC's decision is coming soon  

"The WBC has been following all of the updates in this case and we plan to make an announcement next week," said Sulaiman.