Browne, 36, had traces of Clenbuterol in his ‘A’ sample following victory over Ruslan Chagaev on March 5 in Grozny and the WBA are now awaiting findings from the ‘B’ sample before contemplating their next move.
In a statement sent to WBN, the WBA said: “Lucas Browne, current world heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Association, tested positive for Clenbuterol, according to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA by its acronym in English) through a letter the WBA.
“The World Boxing Association and World Championships Committee want this to be a misunderstanding. However, they expect to make a decision following the result analysis of the “B” test in this case, in accordance to the regulations of the body.
“We can confirm that the report sent from VADA clearly says ‘… the urine sample” A “number 2998060 taken on March 6, 2016 has been analyzed and yielded the following results: urine contains Clenbuterol.’
“Reviewing the letter, however, Browne and his team have the right to ask for proof of their ‘B’ sample to be analyzed in order to fully confirm the test.”
‘Big Daddy’ is already seeking legal advice following the public announcement on Monday, but faces a tough fight due to the track record of VADA in previous cases.
Most of VADA’s initial ‘A’ sample findings have been upheld in ‘B’ tests, leaving Browne with an uphill battle to retain his ‘regular’ champion status with the WBA.
