On May 21, Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was scheduled to defend his belt for the 4th time as he faced Alexander Povetkin in Moscow. Just one week out, that fight was cancelled when Povetkin failed a pre-fight drug test, testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. Now, Wilder is looking to recoup his losses from that cancellation.
Earlier this week, Wilder and his promoter DiBella Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Povetkin and promoter World of Boxing for breach of contract. Wilder is seeking $5 million in damages due to the cancellation.
This fight was contracted to be the biggest payday of Wilder’s career, as he was guaranteed $4.