By Igor Lazorin, tass

The testing saga continues for heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin.

On Tuesday, the World Boxing Council announced that Povetkin's B-sample, in connection to his VADA drug test on December 6th, would be opened on Thursday, January 5th, at a lab in Los Angeles, California.

That procedure was not conducted as planned, according to a source with knowledge of the details.

An official with the WBC, in a statement, said the sanctioning body "does not yet have information on this situation."

Last month in Russia, Povetkin was scheduled to face Bermane Stiverne in a WBC final eliminator. A few hours before the event was scheduled to start, the World Boxing Council announced that Povetkin had tested positive for banned substance osterine - which has the same effects as anabolic steroids.

Stiverne refused to go forward with the fight after the WBC refused to sanction the contest due to Povetkin's positive test. The event was not canceled, as Johann Duhaupas stepped in as a late-replacement and was brutally knocked out in six rounds.

This marked the second time in the last seven months that Povetkin tested positive for a banned substance. Back in May, Povetkin failed a drug test just a few days before his scheduled bout with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. The fight was ultimately canceled.

A few weeks after the canceled fight, Wilder and his promoter Lou DiBella filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Povetkin and promoter Andrei Rybinsky in Manhattan federal court. Ryabinsky filed a counter-suit for defamation.