Robert Helenius has been banned for two years for doping during his fight with Anthony Joshua.
The 40-year-old Finnish veteran was added at the last minute as a replacement for Dillian Whyte after the Brixton Body Snatcher missed out on a chance for a rematch with AJ in August 2023 after failing his own pre-fight test.
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Helenius had boxed just seven days earlier in a small castle in Finland, winning by stopping him in the third round.
And he lasted seven rounds at London’s O2 before the 34-year-old Watford veteran knocked him out.
Only after the contest was Helenius – who had launched a verbal attack on all drug cheats in his pre-fight interviews – was found to have the female fertility drug clomiphene in the 6ft 7in man’s system.
Clomiphene is the same substance found in the body of British welterweight Conor Benn two years ago, when his fight with Chris Eubank Jr was cancelled and he is still fighting his case.
The WBC tried to excuse Ben by blaming contaminated eggs for the two failed tests, a similar excuse used by Helenius, but was firmly rejected.
A statement from UKAD said: “Upon being informed of the anti-doping rule violation, Mr Helenius stated that the clomiphene detected in his urine sample may have originated from his consumption of eggs and chicken meat.
“However, following a request from UKAD, Mr Helenius was unable to provide any evidence that the eggs and chicken meat he consumed prior to the bout came from chickens that had been given clomiphene.
“Mr Helenius was therefore unable to identify the source of the clomiphene in his sample and was therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of ineligibility to two years.”
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On 8 August, at the pre-fight media day, Helenius was specifically asked about the doping problem in British boxing.
Where he claimed that if we were too lenient in his case he would be hanged in his motherland.
He said: “In your country when Dillian gets caught everybody just thinks ‘Oh it’s boxing’ and nobody cares.
“If I’m caught in Finland I’ll be sentenced to death for the rest of my life. Minimum two years’ ban.
“I will never get a license again.
“If I do that I will never be able to box in Finland.
“It feels like I’m at a disadvantage, I don’t have the luxury of doing that. They come to my house, take my blood, come to my work and do everything. It’s not fair.”
Boxing career record of Robert Helenius
Total matches: 37 matches
Victory: 32
Win by knockout: 21
Loss: 5
Major titles: 0
After Helenius’ test results became public, he sent Joshua a private letter and posted a statement online, which almost convinced people.
He wrote: “I want to say something very clear right now, in my own words, without exception.
“I don’t use any performance enhancements now or ever. I’ve been tested throughout my career.
“I have just been informed that I have tested positive for the presence of a non-steroidal substance in my body and I wanted to send an urgent direct message to Joshua and boxing fans that I have not cheated and never would.
“I am ready to work closely with VADA and the BBBofC to clear my name.”
He is entitled to credit for the time he was provisionally suspended.
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Therefore, his ban will be deemed to have started from September 18, 2023 and will end at midnight of 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 clomiphene?
Clomiphene is a medicine given to women suffering from infertility.
This anti-estrogen drug comes in pill form and is also known as clomiphene, its brand name is Clomid.
But studies have shown that when it is used by men, low doses can increase serum testosterone levels.
Taking clomiphene indirectly increases androgen levels – these are male hormones that play a large role in muscle mass and strength.
It works by stimulating the production of testosterone in the body and is known to produce similar results as injectable or pellet testosterone.
