Dillian Whyte is reportedly free to resume his career after it was put on hold by a positive drugs test in the build-up to his cancelled fight with Anthony Joshua.

The rivals were scheduled to fight for a second time in August until Whyte returned “adverse analytical findings” in a pre-fight test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

Whyte, 35, is licenced by the Texas Department of Licencing and Regulation, and an investigation conducted by, according to Sky Sports, a forensic expert, concluded: “[My] expert view is that Mr Whyte was the victim of a contaminated supplement that did not disclose [the contaminant] among its ingredients and he did not ingest the [contaminant] intentionally.”

Whyte, who served a two-year drugs ban from 2012 to 2014, maintained he was “completely innocent” at the time of his being replaced as Joshua’s opponent by Robert Helenius, who was stopped in seven rounds. He was also cleared of a doping violation in 2019 when UK Anti-Doping concluded the levels in his sample were “very low”.

“First of all, I’m relieved more than anything, but of course I'm angry as well because it’s cost me so much,” Whyte said to Sky Sports of the most recent development. “The most important thing is it cost me the chance to beat ‘AJ’. Everything else after that is secondary but you know it’s a mix of emotions.

“I’m angry and I’m disappointed as well because people in this game don’t give you a chance to prove yourself. Everybody is quick to say, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’, instead of giving people a chance.

“It’s been really tough, because I knew I was innocent, but then you can’t talk, you can’t say nothing. You have to be professional, trust the process, trust the lawyers and trust the people around you. It’s been tough, but tough times make tough men.”

Whyte also said that he intends on seeking damages from the company that manufactured the supplement.

“I’ve lost a lot of money and we’re seeking damages for all the money I’ve lost,” he said. “Try to get some sort of redemption for my career. With litigation, you can’t really talk too much.”