LUCAS BROWNE insists he will seek legal advice in response to a report stating he had failed a postfight drug test after his bout with Ruslan Chagaev on March 5.
ESPN report that Browne tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol in a urine test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
The substance was found in Browne’s ‘A’ sample, according to VADA. The Australian can request that his ‘B’ sample also be tested, but would have to pay for that himself.
“I don’t understand today’s news, and I’m seeking legal advice,” Browne tweeted after the news broke.
The tweet suggests Browne is proclaiming his innocence, though it remains to be seen what his next steps will be.
It is likely he will be stripped of the spurious WBA ‘regular’ world heavyweight title he won against Chagaev, and that the decision will be changed to a no contest. Browne rose from a sixth-round knockdown to stop Ruslan in the 10th.
Clenbuterol is used to treat breathing disorders such as asthma, but also serves as a thermogenic, which is effective in the fat-burning process.
Browne was slated to face Fres Oquendo next, in a mandatory defence, though David Haye had been very vocal about his desire to face the unbeaten Sydney native.
