Veterans Derek Chisora and Robert Helenius have called for stronger bans for drug cheats ahead of their respective fights at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
Anthony Joshua will step into the ring with last-minute opponent Helenius after Dillian Whyte was pulled from the Matchroom show last weekend following a failed drugs test.
Whyte has vowed to prove his innocence but the “adverse analytical findings” detected in his test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) almost saw the bumper card cancelled before Helenius was drafted in.
They throwdown on Saturday 💣@anthonyjoshua vs @helenius_robert #JoshuaHelenius | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/lTDYnxxkKj
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 9, 2023
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Helenius is not the oldest fighter on the card with British heavyweight Chisora set to turn 40 in December.
Chisora, who lost a contentious split decision to Helenius in 2011, will take on American Gerald Washington this weekend but waded into the doping debate during Wednesday’s press conference.
“Boxing is already a hard, hard sport without people taking drugs,” Chisora stated.
“I think they should put a new rule in now. If you get caught, this is for the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), it’s going to have to be a 10-year ban straight away.”
Meanwhile, Helenius insisted a laidback approach is taken in certain countries to doping in the sport.
Whyte previously served a two-year doping ban in 2012 and several other high-profile boxers in Tyson Fury, Jarrell Miller, Alexander Povetkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz have served suspensions for failed tests.
British duo Amir Khan and Conor Benn have also been given doping bans during the past year, although Benn’s suspension was lifted last month, subject to an appeal from UK Anti-Doping.
Helenius added: “Of course it’s a problem because I don’t think everybody is on the same level. Some have privileges that others don’t have.
“It’s a very difficult topic and I think anti-doping should be the same in every country. For example in your country, when Dillian gets caught, everybody just thinks ‘oh it’s boxing’ and nobody cares.
“In Finland, if I would be caught, I would be lynched for my whole life. Two-year minimum (ban), nothing. I would never get a licence again.
“I know (of) Povetkin, Fury, Canelo. If I would do that, I would never be able to box in Finland anymore.”
After Helenius stepped in to face Joshua at the last minute, he has been warned the former two-time world heavyweight champion is getting better and better.
That’s according to Joshua’s highly-respected trainer Derrick James, who saw his new boxer begin their partnership with a laboured display in a unanimous points decision victory over Jermaine Franklin in April.
James said: “He has bought into the process and is constantly getting better and better and better. Helenius is now here and it is time for us to implement everything we’ve been working.
“Finding it out (about Whyte), you realise you have to move forward.
“It was then all about Robert Helenius, who is a pretty good fighter but you’ll see everything that AJ has been working on throughout camp implemented into this fight.
“The only thing different was the fact we have to change the trajectory of the punching. From shorter and lower, so now it is a little higher because I think Helenius is 6ft 9in or 6ft 8in, but it is good.
“It will be good and will show his ability to transition from fighting one guy to a week later fighting another guy.”
