Anthony Joshua opponent Robert Helenius banned for TWO YEARS after positive drugs test following defeat to Brit

5 months ago 46

ROBERT HELENIUS has been hit with a two-year ban for doping around his Anthony Joshua fight.

The 40-year-old Finnish giant was a last-minute replacement for Dillian Whyte, after the Brixton Body Snatcher blew his chance of an AJ rematch in August 2023 by failing his own pre-fight tests.

Robert Helenius has been banned from boxing for two years[/caption]

After he tested positive for a banned substance following his knock down from AJ at the O2 Arena last August[/caption]

Helenius had boxed just seven days previously in a tiny Finnish castle – winning by third-round stoppage.

And he lasted seven rounds at London’s O2 before the 34-year-old Watford icon knocked him out.

It was only after the contest that Helenius – who verbally attacked all drug cheats in his pre-fight interviews – was found to have female fertility drug clomifene in his 6ft 7in system.

Clomifene is the same substance British welterweight Conor Benn was found to have in his system two years ago, when his Chris Eubank Jr fight was cancelled and he is still fighting his case.

The WBC tried to excuse Benn by blaming his two failed tests on contaminated eggs and that is the same excuse Helenius tried but was firmly rejected.

A statement from UKAD read: “On being notified of the Anti-Doping Rule Violations, Mr Helenius stated that the clomifene detected in his urine Sample must have originated from his consumption of eggs and chicken meat.

“However, following a request by UKAD, Mr Helenius was unable to provide any evidence that the eggs and chicken meat he had consumed in advance of the bout originated from hens that had been administered clomifene.

“Mr Helenius was therefore unable to identify the source of clomifene in his Sample and therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of Ineligibility of two years.”

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On August 8, at the pre-fight media day, Helenius was asked specifically about the scourge of doping in British boxing.

Where he claimed we go too easy on our own and he would be hanged in his homeland.

He said: “In your country when Dillian gets caught, everybody just thinks ‘oh it’s boxing’ and nobody cares.

“In Finland, if I would be caught I would be lynched for my whole life. Two-year ban minimum.

“I would never get a licence again.

“If I would do that I would never be able to box in Finland anymore.

“It feels like I’m at a disadvantage, I don’t have the luxury of doing it. They come to my home, they take my blood, they come to my work and everything. It’s not fair.”

Robert Helenius boxing career record

Total fights: 37 bouts

Wins: 32

Wins by KO: 21

Losses: 5

Major titles: 0

After the results from Helenius’ tests were made public, he sent a private letter to Joshua and posted a statement online, which almost convinced people.

He wrote: “I want to say something very clear in my own words right now with absolutely no exception.

“I did not use any performance enhancement now or ever. I have been tested my entire career.

“I was just told that I tested positive for the presence of a non-steroid substance in my system and I wanted to send an immediate direct message to Joshua and boxing fans that I didn’t cheat and never would.

“I will volunteer to work with VADA and the BBBofC to do whatever it takes to clear my name.”

He is entitled to credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended.

Therefore his ban is deemed to have started on September 18 2023 and will end at midnight on September 17 2025.

Helenius is perhaps best known for his fight with Deontay Wilder in 2022 when he suffered a swift knockout loss.

What is Clomifene?

By Wally Downes Jr

Clomifene is a tried, tested and FDA-approved drug that helps women get pregnant by – in simple terms – making their ovaries work harder

It is especially helpful to women suffering with medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome, which prevents ovulation from happening naturally.

In men, clomiphene can boost testosterone levels and, if used by healthy male athletes, increase muscle mass by increasing serum testosterone levels.

Therefore the drug is completely prohibited – in and out of competition – by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Clomifene can also be used to help drug cheats ease off of a period of more serious drugs, in another scam called post-cycle therapy.

If an athlete uses anabolic steroids – most likely in boxing or combat sports when they are away from camp or having a fight arranged – their body will eventually reduce or stop producing natural testosterone on its own.

Micro-dosing with clomifene can help their body steadily restart production of the hormone.

It has now hit two high-profile boxers while UFC heavyweight star Jon Jones has tested positive for it and former UFC heavyweight champion-turned-WWE-wrestler Brock Lesnar served a one-year ban for it.

Blaming clomifene on contaminated eggs or chicken meat is a popular new ploy and there has been a thorough WADA study into the fact some poultry farms do pump their hens with the drug.

However a study has shown that ingesting clomiphene directly and through contaminated food creates different metabolites in the body, which would play a crucial part in any athlete successful using the defence.

Read more on SunSport’s boxing correspondent Wally Downes Jr.

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