Heavyweight boxer Povetkin's suspension lifted

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM The World Boxing Council (WBC) has lifted Russian heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin's indefinite suspension, imposed earlier over doping abuse allegations, Andrey Ryabinsky, TASS refers to the head of the Boxing World promotion company.

"Starting from December 6 Povetkin is eligible to enter WBC bouts," Ryabinsky wrote on his Instagram.

Traces of prohibited substance ostarine were discovered in Povetkin's doping sample in December 2016 before his bout with Canada's Bermane Stiverne for the title of the interim WBC world champion.

The WBC ruled to suspend the Russian boxer indefinitely and slapped a financial penalty on him as well. Povetkin appealed the WBC's decision this past April.

Known to the fans as ‘Russian Vityaz,' Povetkin (W-32; L-1; 23 KOs) was reinstated last month in the ratings of the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

The Russian boxer held his latest fight on July 1 in Moscow against Ukraine's Andriy Rudenko. Povetkin defeated his opponent by a twelve-round unanimous decision of the referees (120-109, 120-108, 120-108) and seized the WBO International and WBA Continental heavyweight titles.

Povetkin is scheduled for his next bout on December 16 against Romania's Christian Hammer (W-22; L-4; 12 KOs). The fight will be held in Russia's Urals city of Yekaterinburg.