Lucas Browne was on top of the world in March.
The 37-year-old had upset Ruslan Chagaev in Chechnya to become Australia’s first world heavyweight champion in the sport of boxing.
But the euphoria of his WBA title victory quickly turned to despair.
Browne was stripped of the title after testing positive to the banned substance Clenbuterol.
“I think it was always their plan no matter what, that I was never actually going to win,” Browne said.
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“It doesn’t make sense why I would take it I knew I was going to be tested afterwards.”
After serving a six month suspension, the World Boxing Association cleared Browne, saying it was unlikely he intentionally took the drug.
The former bouncer gets his shot at redemption next month when he fights 44-year-old American Shannon Briggs for the title.
“One of the things I’ve been looking at and thinking about over and over in my mind is knocking Briggs out and standing over the top of him and saying let’s go champ,” Browne said.
