By Jake Tiernan: Matchroom reporting that heavyweight Robert Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs) has returned an adverse “adverse analytical finding” from a VADA-conducted test taken a day before his August 12th fight against former two-time champion Anthony Joshua at the O2 Arena in London, England.
According to Matchroom, Helenius was tested on Friday, August 11th, one day before he fought AJ. The real question is, why did it take this long for the results of the test to be released?
Ideally, it would have been better to discover this before the fight so that Joshua could have canceled.
There’s no word yet on what substance the 39-year-old Helenius tested positive for. He was brought in on a one-week notice to replace Dillian Whyte, who also tested positive for a banned substance.
For Joshua, this is the third time one of his opponents has been popped for a banned substance. The big three:
- Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller
- Dillian Whyte
- Robert Helenius
The 6’6″ Helenius bloodied Joshua’s nose and puffed up his eyes before getting knocked out in the seventh round after being dropped by a right hand.
Joshua took criticism for the punishment he took and how timid he looked against Helenius, a fighter that Deontay Wilder knocked out in the first round last year in October. Now, at least, Joshua’s fans have an excuse to blame his poor performance against Helenius on.
Boxing fans on social media are having a field day, pointing out how Joshua’s opponents are getting popped left & right for banned substances.
If you’re a fighter that is hoping to get a big-money rematch with Joshua, you could see why would take the gamble of cheating because if they win, they’ll set themselves up for life with a lucrative rematch.
Look at Andy Ruiz Jr., a guy who was just a simple career fringe-level fighter until he got lucky, knocking out Joshua in the seventh round in June 2019.
With that win, Ruiz fought Joshua in a rematch and made millions from the fights. Ruiz Jr. now reportedly had a net worth of $10 million, and he only rarely fights. He doesn’t need to fight often like other fighters after getting massive money in a rematch with Joshua.
When there’s the chance to make millions fighting the heavyweight money man Joshua in a rematch, it’s understandable why a fighter would want to gain an edge.
We’ll see how the positive test impacts Helenius’ career, if at all.
ℹ️ Official statement on Robert Helenius pic.twitter.com/OuZX9wXKOV
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 25, 2023
