Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne (28-2) will be looking for a little redemption and put his career back in track when he enters the ring again on November 9.
The former WBA (Regular) Heavyweight world champion is somewhat the “Black Sheep” of Aussie boxing. After he defeated Ruslan Chagaev for his title, Browne tested positive not once but twice to the band substance clenbuterol, this resulted in Browne being stripped of his title. Browne was the first Australian Heavyweight in over one hundred years to become a world champion and but his time as champ was that short lived its barely worth mentioning.
Being caught with clenbuterol in his system not that big of a deal in boxing especially considering Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez was pinned with the same substance in his test after the first GGG fight, but in Australian sport cheating is a big no no. Just look at what the sandpaper scandal of last year did to Aussie cricket team.
If there is one thing that Aussie sport won’t stand for, it’s a drug cheat.
While somewhat forgiven but certainly not forgotten, the 40 year old Browne will step back into the ring against Argentina’s Gonzalo Omar Basile (74-12), the current South American Heavyweight Champ. Basile is on a seven fight win streak while Browne is coming off his second pro loss courtesy of David Allen.
It certainly will be a good test for Browne to take on Basile and an advantage for Browne being that he will be the younger of the two combatants as Basile is 45.
Also featuring on the same fight card will be ex NRL player and former Australian Heavyweight champ John Hopoate. Hopoate returned to the ring in February after a near decade out of the ring, his last fight being a KO loss to New Zealand Heavyweight Shane Cameron. Hopoate took on NRL Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen in February and suffered a brutal KO in the second round. Plenty of Aussie boxing and NRL fans were happy with the result as many thought it was the flogging that Hopoate deserved for his dirty tactics while playing on the NRL.
Hopate’s opponent is yet to be announced.
The fight night is headlined by Kye Mackenzie (20-2) v Francis Chua (7-0-1) for the vacant WBA Oceania Super-Bantamweight title and is to be held at the St Mary’s Band Club, St Mary’s in New South Wales.
