Robert Helenius receives a two-year ban for failing test after Anthony Joshua bout

ROBERT Helenius has been slapped with a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance following his 2023 clash with Anthony Joshua.

Two weeks after the fight, UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) reported that Helenius had returned an adverse finding. They also informed promoters Matchroom. It was later determined that the prohibited substance Clomifene was detected. Helenius protested his innocence, citing consumption of chicken and eggs.

UKAD countered this claim by stating: “…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.”

Helenius has been a world-level operator for some time, having previously fought Deontay Wilder (lost by first-round KO), Adam Kownacki, whom he beat twice and Dillian Whyte, who he lost to in 2017. Helenius actually stepped in for Whyte against Joshua, after Dillian was caught with an adverse finding.

This continues to be a major issue in world boxing. On a domestic front, Conor Benn and Amir Khan are two high profile names who have been caught up in similar incidents in recent years.