Lucas Browne was stripped of his secondary heavyweight world title on Thursday after his "B" sample also tested positive for the banned steroid clenbuterol.
Browne's "A" sample tested positive for the banned substance in the aftermath of his dramatic 10th-round comeback knockout of Ruslan Chagaev to win the WBA's "regular" heavyweight title on March 5 in Grozny, Russia.
The WBA waited for the test results of his "B" sample before stripping him of his belt. When the "B" sample tested positive, Browne was stripped and also suspended for six months, the WBA announced.
The result of the fight will be changed to a no contest and the title returned to Chagaev "upon payment of all sanction fees due," the WBA wrote in its ruling.
Following the victory, Browne returned home to Australia, where he was hailed as a hero after becoming his country's first fighter to win a heavyweight title. Now the accomplishment will be erased from the history books.
"I'm leaving everything to my lawyer," Browne said in a statement. "I thank everyone for their support, especially the people and fans of Australia."
The 37-year-old Browne (23-0, 20 KOs, 1 no contest) has denied knowingly taking any banned substance, making the point that he was the one who requested stringent drug testing to be performed by the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association as part of his agreement to travel to Chagaev's territory for the fight.
Further, Browne said he would have no reason to use clenbuterol, a drug typically used to assist in weight loss, which would not be necessary for a heavyweight.
A random test Browne submitted to four days before he arrived in Grozny was clean, so he and his team claim that something he ate or drank was contaminated -- perhaps on purpose -- once he arrived at the fight site. But with no proof, the WBA had little choice but to follow its rules and strip him.
"Browne did challenge the 'B' sample, but there were no flaws in the VADA process," WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN.com. "It was disappointing since he was the first heavyweight champion born in Australia."
Since the negative test happened so close to the fight, the WBA went with the minimum suspension of six months.
"The minimum suspension is appropriate due to the circumstances of the negative pre-bout testing only one week before the bout and Browne's arguments relating to the minimal levels detected and lack of any logical competitive advantage," the WBA wrote in its ruling.
"Notwithstanding, Browne participated in the bout with a prohibited substance in his system, and regardless of any arguments to the contrary, athletes do not always act rationally or logically when it comes to striving for that competitive edge in competition, whether real or merely perceived.
"Whether Browne knowingly or voluntarily took the prohibited substance is of no consequence concerning the no contest ruling and only carries any weight for purposes of determining the suspension period. The boxer and his representatives are ultimately responsible for what the boxer ingests."
Browne's suspension ends on Sept. 5, at which point he will be eligible to be rated by the WBA -- with the condition that he be subject to random testing at his expense throughout 2016. Browne, of course, could elect to seek an opportunity with another sanctioning body, which would not have to recognize his suspension. Commissions around the world are not bound by the WBA suspension.
Browne showed enormous heart to rally for the biggest win of his career after Chagaev, a 37-year-old southpaw from Uzbekistan, dropped him hard with a straight left hand with 35 seconds left in the sixth round. In the 10th round, Browne, cut over his left eye and on his forehead, landed a flush right hand on Chagaev's chin, which sent him staggering backward and down with a minute to go. Chagaev (34-2-1, 21 KOs, 1 no contest) beat the count but was in rough shape. Browne went right after him and landed nearly 20 unanswered punches -- mostly right hands -- before referee Stanley Christodoulou stopped the fight at 2 minutes, 27 seconds.
Chagaev is now obligated to again fight mandatory challenger Fres Oquendo (37-8, 24 KOs), who lost a disputed majority decision to Chagaev in July 2014 and has not fought since, mainly because of a shoulder injury. The camps were ordered to begin negotiations with the fight mandated to take place within 120 days. Mendoza said their camps have 30 days to negotiate an agreement or a purse bid will be ordered.
As the WBA seeks to reduce the number of titles from three to one in each division, Mendoza said the Chagaev-Oquendo winner will have to face the winner of the fight between interim titlist Luis Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov, who meet on a date to be determined in August or September. The fighter who emerges from Chagaev/Oquendo/Ortiz/Ustinov will be ordered to face the winner of the July 9 rematch between world champion Tyson Fury and former champion Wladimir Klitschko.
There have been rampant rumors saying Chagaev plans to retire. If that happens, Mendoza said the Ortiz-Ustinov winner would be ordered to face Oquendo with that winner mandated to face the Fury-Klitschko II victor.