Wilder: Povetkin ‘should be suspended’

5:43 PM ET

Heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder had completed his training camp in preparation for a May 21 mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin in Moscow when he got the news that Povetkin had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in a random urine test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, boxing’s most reputable testing agency.

“My immediate reaction was my mouth dropped open when Jay (Deas, his head trainer) was explaining what happened,” Wilder told ESPN.com. “”My heart fell to my stomach when Jay was telling me.”

Wilder, Deas and the rest of their team were in Sheffield, England, where Wilder had spent the final two weeks of his training camp, a move made in order to help with the adjustment in time zone changes. ESPN.com broke the news of Povetkin’s failed test two days before Wilder and his crew were supposed to fly from England to Moscow for fight week.

“All I could think about was what I had put my body through in training camp, the travel and to be leaving empty handed? It was a horrible feeling.”

Deontay Wilder

But the only plane they boarded was one back to the United States when the fight was called off. That meant the two months Wilder had put into training, not to mention the cost of training camp and traveling overseas had gone to waste. And, by the way, he was not paid his $4,504,500 purse because there was no fight (although a …

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