Anthony Joshua’s former opponent, Robert Helenius, slapped with two-year ban after failing drug test
Anthony Joshua faced off against Robert Helenius on 12 Aug. in front of a packed home crowd at the O2 Arena in London, England. Helenius replaced Joshua's original opponent, Dilliam Whyte, after 'The Body Snatcher' failed a pre-fight drug test and was removed from the bout.
However, after the clash, it was revealed that Helenius had also failed a drug test, testing positive for clomifene. 'The Nordic Nightmare' has now been handed a two-year ban and will only be able to return to competition when he turns 41.
News of the suspension was reported by Sky Sports, who took to X and wrote this:
"Robert Helenius has been handed a two-year ban for failing a drugs test after his fight with Anthony Joshua last year."
See the post below:
Helenius has spoken out about the adverse findings in his drug and blamed his high consumption of chicken and eggs for the presence of clomifene in his system.
Budding British welterweight boxer Conor Benn failed a pre-fight drug test ahead of his scheduled clash with Chris Eubank Jr. in October 2022. Benn tested positive for clomifene, with 'The Destroyer' also citing an "excessive consumption of eggs" as the reason.
Anthony Joshua is not vulnerable to Daniel Dubois' power, says Eddie Hearn
Anthony Joshua's chance to become the fifth three-time heavyweight champion will come in the shape of an IBF title fight with Daniel Dubois.
Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion following a thrilling clash with Tyson Fury. He was ordered to defend his IBF title against Dubois, the mandatory challenger.
However, 'The Cat' is legally obligated to pursue a rematch with Fury and opted to vacate the belt to avoid being stripped by the sanctioning body.
The pair of British heavyweights will now do battle for the vacant title, and there are rumors that Dubois' devastating power will cause 'AJ' much trouble. Those rumors were shot down by Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, during a recent interview with iFL TV.
He said this:
"Yeah [I've heard the rumors], 'If he gets hit on the chin he could get hurt.' F**king obviously! What makes me laugh is, what is the narrative of 'AJ' doesn't have a good chin? Start by watching the Dillian Whyte fight, where he got hit by a left-hook that would have knocked out a horse... 'AJ's' chin is fine, however, if you get hit by a massive puncher in the division, you could be in trouble, and Daniel Dubois is a massive puncher."
Watch Hearn discuss Anthony Joshua's durability below (10:00):