Alexander Povetkin was supposed to challenge Deontay Wilder for the WBC Heavyweight Championship in May. Thanks to a failed drug test from Povetkin, that fight never happened. Now, Deontay Wilder is reportedly taking his would-be challenger to court, alleging that Povtekin’s drug test cost him money.
“Heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder is suing the man he was SUPPOSED to fight back in May — claiming Alexander Povetkin’s positive doping test cost him MILLIONS … and he wants his money,” per TMZ Sports. “In a lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Wilder claims he was guaranteed 70% of the $7.15 MILLION purse for the May 21st fight (math translation: $5 million).”
It will be interesting to see where this goes. Obviously, the language in the contract of the fight will be key, as lawyers from both sides will no doubt try to spin it a certain way. While Wilder certainly has a right to be upset, this isn’t exactly a scenario that couldn’t be imagined. It’s hard to think that there was no provision for this in the agreement between the two fighters.
But even a loss in court here wouldn’t mean that Wilder is wrong. He has a very legitimate complaint against Povetkin.
If the champ is successful, it will potentially set a precedent for future fights, making positive drug tests even more costly to those who get caught cheating.