STATEMENT BY HATTON PROMOTIONS AND LUCAS BROWNE – Hatton Promotions wishes to confirm that on 15 April 2016 Lucas Browne undertook an independent polygraph test. This is a test often referred to and commonly known as a “lie detector” test.
We confirm that Lucas unequivocally passed the test. He did not knowingly or intentionally place banned substances including the drug clenbuterol into his system ahead of his world title victory against Ruslan Chagaev.
Statement by Lucas Browne: I made clear to the public last week that I intended to do all that I can to clear my name after the devastating news of the positive drug test following my successful defeat of Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA Heavyweight World Championship.
I am now able to report to you that on February 29th shortly after having arrived in Chechnya I was subjected to a randomly timed drug test by VADA. This was a test of blood and urine. The post fight test was a urine only test. I would like to again stress it was myself and my team who requested the bout be subject to VADA testing.
As fight fans have probably read, come-backing former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye has announced how he is “in talks” with new WBA belt holder Lucas Browne and is hopeful he might fight him in his second return fight, set for May 21st at The O2 in London. However, Browne, who is obliged to fight Fres Oquendo as per the WBA’s tournament designed to finally crown just one man as their heavyweight king (there are currently three men staking such a claim: Browne, Tyson Fury and Luis Ortiz) took to Twitter to shoot down Haye’s talk.
In his own colorful, no-nonsense way, the unbeaten warrior known as “Big Daddy,” wrote the following in response to Haye’s claims:
LUCAS BROWNE has fired back at rivals keen to gain publicity off the back of his stunning WBA heavyweight title victory over Ruslan Chagaev.
The heavy-handed Sydney man wrote his name into the history books when he KOed the tough Uzbek to become Australia’s first ever world champion in the heavyweight division last weekend.
And while most in the boxing fraternity are happy for him, it appears that some heavyweights have become embittered and jealous.
Australian warrior Lucas Browne, who overcame tremendous odds to take a portion of the heavyweight title this past Saturday night in Grozny, Russia, does not appreciate being called out and challenged by fighters he says have not earned a world title shot. Browne, who has also boxed away from home in England, is understandably proud of the way he worked his way up to title contention and he says other fighters who want to challenge him for his next belt should do the same.
Lucas Browne, the new “regular” WBA heavyweight champion who gave us the best action fight of the weekend, isn’t even back home in Australia at time of writing – but already his team is plotting his next move. Browne’s co-promoter Brendan Bourke (who, along with British legend Ricky Hatton promotes “Big Daddy”) told The West Australian how the 36-year-old would ideally fight again in three to four months, and that the big names – Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua and David Haye will all be potential rivals.
Two bouts from the WBA heavyweight tournament took place on Saturday night as Luis Ortiz (25-0) amicably mowed down Tony Thompson (40-7) while Lucas Browne (24-0) beat the odds and an eight count to stop Ruslan Chagaev (34-3-1), claimed the WBA title and emerged as the first ever Australian heavyweight champion.
In a surprisingly entertaining heavyweight battle, Australian slugger Lucas Browne scored a big upset win in stopping defending WBA champ Ruslan Chagaev in the 10th-round in Grozny, Russia. Browne, who had been wobbled in the 5th and heavily decked himself in the 6th, came back to pull out a right hand from nowhere which dropped the durable if aging Chagaev in round-ten.