Heavyweight Alexander Povetkin, whose mandatory fight against world titleholder Deontay Wilder on May 21 in Moscow was canceled less than two weeks before the bout because Povetkin tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, is off the hook.The WBC announced a resolution to its investigation into the matter on Wednesday. It decided not to punish Povetkin, despite the dirty test.Not only will Povetkin not be punished beyond the cancellation of the May fight -- which cost him a purse of $1,930,500, Wilder a purse of $4,504,500 and the winner a $715,000 bonus -- but he was also given a shot at the interim title because Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) will likely be sidelined until at least early 2017. Wilder recently had right hand and biceps surgery after he suffered injuries in his eighth-round knockout of Chris Arreola on July 16 in a fight arranged on short notice following the Povetkin bout being called off.Povetkin (30-1, 22 KOs), 36, a former world titleholder and 2004 Russian Olympic gold medalist, was ordered to face former world titleholder Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs), 37, a Haiti native living in Las Vegas, for the vacant interim belt. Wilder outclassed Stiverne in a lopsided decision win to claim the title in January 2015As a result of his injuries and surgeries, champion Wilder is expected to be inactive until some time in 2017, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement. Deontay Wilder is confirmed as WBC heavyweight champion and will have the time to recover from his multiple injuries and surgeries. Wilder will retain his rights as champion, including the 70 percent advantage in case his mandatory bout needs to go to purse bid, once he returns to action.An interim championship is ordered between the two highest available contenders, No. 1 Alexander Povetkin and No. 2 Bermane Stiverne.The Povetkin and Stiverne camps were ordered to begin negotiations immediately. If they do not make a deal, a purse bid will be held Sept. 16 with each fighter entitled to 50 percent of the winning offer.In addition, both fighters are required to participate in the WBCs new Clean Boxing Program, which means they will be randomly tested (blood and urine) by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.Povetkin said he used meldonium in late 2015, before the World Anti-Doping Agency ban went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016. The WBC said because Povetkins level of meldonium was under 1 ug/mg in tests conducted after March 1, any punishment was at its discretion because there was no way to determine if the drug had been used after the ban.Povetkins A sample level of meldonium was 0.070 micrograms per milliliter, and the B sample was 0.072, levels approximately 14 times less than the threshold level of 1.0 that WADA set in notices published in April and June.However, in its ruling, the WBC failed to address how Povetkin could have been negative in random VADA tests conducted on April 7, 8 and 11, but his April 27 test of both his A and B samples were positive, though only trace amounts.Wilder and DiBella presented evidence during a hearing with the WBC in Birmingham, Alabama, the day after the Wilder-Arreola fight, during which an expert witness, Dr. Daniel Eichner, the former science director for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and current president of the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City, one of two accredited WADA labs in the United States, testified that it would be impossible to test negative for meldonium three times and then test positive days later without having ingested it in the interim.Dr. Eichner also testified that .007 micrograms per milileter would be a normal level of meldonium to find if a week had passed between ingestion and testing.Nonetheless, the WBC said it would not ban Povetkin for competing for its title because of the impossibility to scientifically prove that Mr. Povetkin ingested meldonium after January 1, 2016.As part of Povetkins being allowed to fight Stiverne for the interim belt, the WBC said VADA will design a specific testing protocol for Mr. Povetkin at Mr. Povetkins own cost and expense. The VADA-designed protocol will commence as soon as feasible after this ruling and will continue for one year thereafter.If there is any future positive test, the WBC said it will suspend Mr. Povetkin from participation in any WBC-sanctioned events indefinitely, divest Mr. Povetkin from any WBC title or any other rights he might have at the time and impose any and all available penalties under the Clean Boxing Program without further inquiry.Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing, Povetkins promoter, viewed the ruling as a victory for Povetkin.We won, he wrote on social media. Povetkin has been vindicated, and must now fight Stiverne because Wilder is injured. Ill still keep up the legal action against Wilders team.Promoter Lou DiBella and Wilder filed suit in U.S. federal court in New York for at least $5 million over the canceled fight. Ryabinsky later filed suit against them, seeking at least $34.5 million for breach of contract and defamation.Wilder, meanwhile, is rehabilitating from the surgeries, which were pronounced a success by Dr. Jimmy Robinson, Wilders physician since his pro debut, who is also the chair for sports medicine and team physician for the University of Alabama.The surgeries were completed by well-renowned surgeons and were an absolute success, Robinson said. I anticipate that Wilder will be back fighting by the end of this year or January of next year. As he is healing, part of his rehab will be to restore range [of] motion to the elbow and get his strength back, which will expedite his recovery. The repair to his right hand should make it as solid and as strong as it can be, so that no further injuries are sustained. In fact, with his rehab, I anticipate the power in his right hand only to increase.Said DiBella: Were thrilled that both surgeries were so successful and that Deontay is on the road back. Hes a dedicated champion and will work diligently to return better than ever. Its great for Deontay, boxing and the heavyweight division that he will be able to defend his title when the calendar turns to 2017.Jay Deas, Wilders trainer and co-manager, said that even though Wilder cannot use his right hand at the moment, they will hit the gym to work on other things.Deontay and I will be working out as he heals so that he will be prepared the moment he is fully healed, Deas said. He will be in the gym working on conditioning, his footwork, and well be working his left hand overtime so that when the right hand is cleared, we will be ready to take a fight.Wilder broke his right hand for the third time and had surgery on it for the second time. But he said he is a fast healer and anxious to fight again.Ive always known that my body is a fast-healing body because I am an elite athlete, and the doctor confirmed that, Wilder said. Were going to pick up where we left off. Im looking forward to unifying the division. Thats my main goal. I dont want to stop. I dont need a tune-up. I dont need a warm-up. I dont need none of that. Once everything is healed with the arm, Im going to get back to right where I left off.That could mean a new date with Povetkin or a rematch with Stiverne.NCAA Jerseys Outlet . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys China .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/ . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Replica NCAA Jerseys . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta.ST. LOUIS -- Jaime Garcia turned back the clock to his childhood Friday night.Garcia pitched eight scoreless innings and had an RBI single to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.I think I did it a bunch of times in Little League, Garcia said of the dual production. I think the only thing that would have made it better would be to hit a home run for the only run.Garcia (8-8) became the first Cardinals pitcher with the lone RBI in a 1-0 win since Harvey Haddix did it against Pittsburgh on July 17, 1955. Garcia struck out 11 as he topped the 100-strikeout mark for the third time in his career.Garcia entered the game with a .167 average and he wasnt about to puff out his chest about his production.Im not a good hitter, but I try my best to get a good swing at the ball, Garcia said.He pitched out of a two-on, no out jam in the fourth, striking out Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp before getting Adonis Garcia to ground out. Freeman and Kemp, the Braves Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, were a combined 0 for 6 against Jaime Garcia with five strikeouts.Garcias two-out single in the second drove in Matt Holliday for the pitchers fourth RBI this season. Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur thought he had a play on Holliday at the plate.It was just a bad throw, kind of straight in the ground, which I dont usually do, Francoeur said. So that was a frustrating one.Garcia needed just 89 pitches to get through eight innings, facing three batters over the minimum.You could tell the breaking ball and change-up were falling off the table, but he went to his sinker whenever he needed to and he wasnt even in a lot of deep counts, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. Thats why he only threw 89 pitches through eight innings.Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his ninth save.Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-4) gave up the run and two hits with five walks in 5 1/3 innings.Garcias effort aided a taxed Cardinals bullpen.dddddddddddd Prior to his start, five of the last six St. Louis starters failed to pitch into the sixth inning.It was huge, trying to get our bullpen another full day, Matheny said. But we would have had Oh up and hot again so it wasnt like he was going to sit around.The Cardinals have won six of their last eight games at home to improve to 26-30 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has won all four games this season against the Braves.Atlantas Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 16 games by leading the game off with a single.Atlanta has lost eight of its last 11 games at St. Louis.HEAD OVER HEELSBraves 3B Adonis Garcia tumbled into the camera well next to the Atlanta dugout to make an acrobatic catch on Brandon Moss pop foul in bottom of the third inning.It was awesome, Francoeur said. I actually saw him from right field disappear and the next thing I saw was a baseball coming over the thing. It was a great play.WELCOME BACKCardinals All-Star INF Matt Carpenter returned from the disabled list after missing 24 games with a right oblique strain. LHP Dean Kiekhefer was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RHP Julio Teheran (right lat strain) will play catch on Saturday, but there is no timetable for his return.Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons (knee) will miss at least a month, general manager John Mozeliak said.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Roberto Hernandez will make his Braves debut after being called up from Triple-A Gwinett Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has pitched for Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston.Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) leads all N.L. pitchers with a career-high 24 double plays induced. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 career innings against the Braves. ' ' '