Heavyweight Dillian Whyte made a successful comeback on Sunday as the Briton trended number one on social media.
“The Bodysnatcher” made his first appearance since a third drug test failure, giving a reasonable explanation for the second time. Whyte was due to face old rival Anthony Joshua in 2023 until an adverse finding halted the rematch. Whyte was subsequently dropped like a hot brick by promoter Eddie Hearn and had a public falling out with his ex-handler.
Given a lifeline by Michael Ofo, who was arranging a St. Patrick’s Day event in Castlebar, Ireland, Whyte jumped at the chance to compete again following sixteen months out.
Dillian Whyte defeats Christian Hammer
Facing Romanian-born German also-ran Christian Hammer, Whyte proved he remains a contender by stopping the 36-year-old after three completed rounds. Hammer failed to come out of his corner for the fourth.
In securing his thirtieth victory against only three defeats, Whyte took the top spot on X.com’s UK trending list, proving his worth to his home audience.
A return to the British Isles should be the next move for Whyte. However, World Boxing News asked the British Boxing Board of Control whether Whyte could fight in the UK following his appeal against the drug test findings. They failed to clarify Whyte’s UK status, but it wouldn’t be the first time the Londoner has fallen out with the BBBofC after his run-in with the governing body in 2019.
The Board suspended Whyte after he tested positive before a victory over Oscar Rivas. It was later revealed that Whyte knew of the positive test before facing the Colombian and didn’t disclose the information to Team Rivas.
UK return
After a few months, Whyte successfully appealed and made a return to action that same year. However, it was over a year before Whyte competed in the UK again. He’ll be hoping it won’t be that long until he lands a big fight in England this time around.
Whyte also has the Saudi Arabia option if he can repair his friendship with Hearn or persuade Frank Warren to take a punt on him. Despite a strained relationship, the 35-year-old previously worked with Warren when facing Tyson Fury in April 2022.
Whatever his future entails, Whyte remains a solid opponent for any of the top fighters, including Deontay Wilder and Joshua. It remains to be seen what Dillian’s next move will be.
On the undercard of Whyte’s victory, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan suffered a shock defeat. O’Sullivan, 39, was returning from almost two years out of the ring when he lost on points to Sofiane Khati.
Read all articles and learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor Phil Jay.
Follow WBN: X.com, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Threads.
