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A pre-fight drug test taken before Helenius faced the
British-Nigerian produced an ‘adverse analytical finding’ for a non-steroid
substance, according to Matchroom Boxing.
The Finnish heavyweight was drafted in on a week’s notice
following Dillian Whyte’s absence from the main event due to his own volunteer
anti-doping agency’s failed test.
Helenius had just come off a low-level third-round knockout
in his own country when he put Joshua out clean with a right hook in the
seventh round.
It was the former unified heavyweight champion’s first
stoppage victory since late 2020.
In a statement released on Saturday, Helenius protested his
innocence and assured Joshua that he is a clean fighter.
“I want to say something very clear in my own words right
now, with absolutely no exception. I do not use any performance enhancements
now or ever. I have been tested my entire career.
“I was just told that I tested positive for the presence of
a non-steroid substance in my system, and I wanted to send an immediate, direct
message to Anthony Joshua and boxing fans that I didn’t cheat and never would.
I volunteer to work with VADA and the BBBofC to do whatever it takes to clear
my name,” the statement read.