Frank Warren, the head of Queensbury promotions, reacted to Dillian Whyte’s positive drug test and who could be a replacement for Anthony Joshua. In an interview with talkSport Boxing Warren said:
“It’s a great shame, but the best way to deal with this is for a hearing to be convened as soon as possible,” said Frank Warren, voicing his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua’s fight.
On Handling Adverse Test Findings
Warren expressed his concerns over the handling of various issues related to Whyte, mainly how time-consuming the process has become.
“The main problem for me is how it’s dealt with and the time it’s taken to deal with them. It drags the sport down and it at times looks like there’s no control over it.”
When asked about the chaos in the last few days, Frank elaborated on a promoter’s worst nightmare, the scramble to find a replacement:
“I’ve been in that position myself in the past and you certainly don’t want to be in that position.”
He also questioned when the adverse findings came to light, hinting at the possibility of murky waters in boxing test results.
Options for Anthony Joshua
Considering the options for Anthony Joshua’s next fight, Frank provided his insights:
“They’ll go for the easiest option they can because they don’t want to jeopardize the payday they think they’re going to get in Saudi Arabia.”
He went on to discuss potential options but believed they would choose the path of least resistance.
Discussing the potential for an opponent to demand more money for a last-minute step-up, Frank acknowledged:
“That’s right. I mean, that happens to you. You can’t blame people for doing that. They’ve got to do the best they can for their fighter.”
He also noted that beating AJ could place the opponent in a great position to earn serious money.
Warren’s Take on His Fighters
When probed about having someone to step up at the last minute, Frank highlighted how his fighters are already engaged:
“Unfortunately, all my guys are very busy. Every big heavyweight fight that is actually taking place involves one of our Fighters.”
He dismissed the idea of offering up Tyson, the lineal Champion.
Frank concluded by underscoring the importance of Joshua’s next fight and the expectation for him to face a worthy opponent:
“He had what you want to call a warm-up fight after he’s lost his, was it early a few months ago, and now he should be stepping up a bit. You’d expect him to be in the ring with somebody who at least has a pulse.”
