diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py b/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
index f6ca96297..99fc50cb4 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/operations/install/wheel.py
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ def install_unpacked_wheel(
     source = wheeldir.rstrip(os.path.sep) + os.path.sep
 
     try:
-        info_dir = wheel_dist_info_dir(source, req_description, name)
+        info_dir = wheel_dist_info_dir(source, name)
         metadata = wheel_metadata(wheeldir)
         version = wheel_version(metadata)
     except UnsupportedWheel as e:
@@ -624,8 +624,8 @@ def install_wheel(
         )
 
 
-def wheel_dist_info_dir(source, req_description, name):
-    # type: (str, str, str) -> str
+def wheel_dist_info_dir(source, name):
+    # type: (str, str) -> str
     """Returns the name of the contained .dist-info directory.
 
     Raises AssertionError or UnsupportedWheel if not found, >1 found, or
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_wheel.py b/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
index 3acf0fe63..31dc064fd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_wheel.py
@@ -194,27 +194,27 @@ def test_get_csv_rows_for_installed__long_lines(tmpdir, caplog):
 def test_wheel_dist_info_dir_found(tmpdir):
     expected = "simple-0.1.dist-info"
     tmpdir.joinpath(expected).mkdir()
-    assert wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "", "simple") == expected
+    assert wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "simple") == expected
 
 
 def test_wheel_dist_info_dir_multiple(tmpdir):
     tmpdir.joinpath("simple-0.1.dist-info").mkdir()
     tmpdir.joinpath("unrelated-0.1.dist-info").mkdir()
     with pytest.raises(UnsupportedWheel) as e:
-        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "", "simple")
+        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "simple")
     assert "multiple .dist-info directories found" in str(e.value)
 
 
 def test_wheel_dist_info_dir_none(tmpdir):
     with pytest.raises(UnsupportedWheel) as e:
-        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "", "simple")
+        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "simple")
     assert "directory not found" in str(e.value)
 
 
 def test_wheel_dist_info_dir_wrong_name(tmpdir):
     tmpdir.joinpath("unrelated-0.1.dist-info").mkdir()
     with pytest.raises(UnsupportedWheel) as e:
-        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "", "simple")
+        wheel.wheel_dist_info_dir(str(tmpdir), "simple")
     assert "does not start with 'simple'" in str(e.value)