Lucas Browne fails post-fight drug test, could be stripped of title

By Boxing News - 03/21/2016 - Comments

browne4333By Allan Fox: In shocking news, WBA heavyweight champion Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne (24-0, 21 KOs) allegedly failed his post-fight drug test for his recent fight against WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (34-3, 21 KOs) on March 5 if this month at the Colosseum Sport Hall, in Grozny, Russia. It’s going to be interesting to see if Browne winds up not only losing his WBA title, but also being suspended and/or fined. It’s quite possible that the ‘B’ sample will clear Browne if there was something wrong with the testing for sample ‘A.’ What’s unknown is whether Browne’s food or drink was contaminated in any way while he was abroad.

Browne tested positive for a Clebbuterol with his “A” sample, according to ESPN.com. Browne has a second sample that will be tested by VADA, but that one hasn’t been tested yet. The positive test for Browne could lead to him being stripped and the results of the fight downgraded to a no decision. That’s likely going to be the case unfortunately for Browne.

Having the WBA title would have resulted in Browne getting a nice payday fight against Fres Oquendo. If Browne had one that fight, then he could have really cashed in with a fight against the winner of the Anthony Joshua vs. Charles Martin, Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder vs. Alexander Povetkin or a fight against David Haye. Browne would have gotten a nice life-changing payday.

The 36-year-old Big Daddy Browne knocked Chagaev out in the 10th round to win the WBA title. At the time, Browne was trailing and well on his way to losing the fight. Browne landed a beautiful right hand that flattened Chagaev. Once the Russian fighter got back to his feet, Browne landed a barrage of heavy head shots that caused the referee to stop the fight.

Browne can ask for his ‘B’ sample of his test to be analyzed. If there was a flaw in the testing of the ‘A’ sample, then the ‘B’ sample should clear Browne and give him a negative test. Of course, if the ‘B’ sample turns up a positive test as well, then Browne will likely be in bad shape and will have his WBA title taken from.

This is such bad news for Browne, because he finally won a world title after toiling away at the sport for many years without getting a crack at a world title. Browne’s victory over Chagaev had him on the verge of some bigger paydays if he could win his first title defense against 42-year-old Fres Oquendo in June. Browne would have had tons of options for big paydays if he could have won the Oquendo fight, and that fight would have likely been a lot easier for him than the Chagaev fight was.

Chagaev could get his belt back or the WBA could have Chagaev fight Oquendo for the vacant WBA title. It’s unclear where interim WBA champion Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz figures into all this. It wouldn’t be surprising if the WBA lets Ortiz get a crack at the WBA title now. Oquendo was supposed to get a shot at the belt next. The WBA will need to decide whether to let Chagaev get the belt back immediately or whether he has to fight the likes of Oquendo or Browne for he belt.



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