David Haye has sensationally revealed that Derek Chisora told him Dillian Whyte would fail a drugs test and he would step in to take on Anthony Joshua.
News broke yesterday that Whyte had returned an ‘adverse finding’ in a random VADA drugs test and had been pulled from his highly anticipated rematch with Joshua.
Reports online suggest Matchroom are trying to keep the card alive and are searching for a last minute replacement to step in against ‘AJ’.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Haye said Chisora had predicted the exact situation a week ago and he’s been preparing to face the former two-time heavyweight champion, not his scheduled opponent, Gerald Washington.
“It’s funny. I got a call from Derek Chisora about a week ago telling me this exact thing would happen. Derek told me a week ago that Dillian is going to fail a drugs test.
I didn’t pay much attention to it. He’s telling me that he’s fighting AJ a week ago, told me to keep it myself, but the news is out there now that Dillian is not going to be in the ring with AJ on the 12th.
Derek has been training for that fight. He’s brought the same camp, the same team that he had for the Usyk fight, he hasn’t done that since the Usyk fight, he knows he’s going to need another Usyk fight performance. Very very interesting.”
If Chisora is indeed the man to get the call, Haye believes it should be a ‘great fight’.
“I think there should be an announcement at some stage. I think it’s great fight. Derek always gives value for money, he’s a Londoner, it’s at the O2 arena.
If you look at Dillian and Derek, if you look at their last fight, Derek was winning the fight until he got the point deducted and unfortunately got chinned in the 11th round, but it was a very close fight. It’s a great stand in fight.
On Whyte’s adverse finding, Haye says people shouldn’t rush to conclusions.
“Innocent until proven guilty. We’ve seen it in recent days where Conor Benn had been dragged through the mud about his failed test, but it’s not failed until it’s ruled that you’ve cheated in someway and he’s been exonerated. So let’s not jump on Dillian just yet until all the evidence is in.”
Questions will undoubtedly be asked how Chisora knew in advance about the events that unfolded.
The card was stacked with heavyweight action so there are other options of Filip Hrgovic, Demsey McKean and Gerald Washington who could step up having been in training for a fight already.