Finnish boxer Robert Helenius, who recently fought against British fighter Anthony Joshua, failed a drug test conducted just a day before their heavyweight bout on August 12. Matchroom Boxing, Joshua's promotional team, revealed that Helenius had an "adverse analytical finding" from a test voluntarily undertaken on August 11. The positive test result was notified to Matchroom Boxing 13 days after the fight, on August 25.
Matchroom Boxing, in a statement, confirmed that the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) had reported Helenius's adverse finding and highlighted their commitment to clean and fair sports. Any further actions regarding this matter would be handled by regulatory authorities.
Anthony Joshua had defeated Helenius in the seventh round, maintaining his path toward a potential fight with Deontay Wilder. Notably, this news comes after Joshua's original opponent, Dillian Whyte, also failed a drug test, causing him to withdraw from the fight.
Helenius had participated in two fights within a week when the test took place, with the test occurring six days after he defeated Mika Mielonen. VADA testing was not involved in his domestic bout and is typically reserved for high-profile matches due to associated costs.
