By Terence Dooley

The  UKAD has confirmed that Edinburgh’s Kenny Anderson, 18-1 (13), was hit with a two-year ban after a positive test for amphetamine following last year’s British Super-middleweight title win over Robin Reid.  Anderson stopped the former world titlist in the fifth round last October, but was stripped of the belt earlier this year before appealing against the UKAD’s findings.  The UKAD could not reveal the details of the ban prior to today as Anderson was going through the appeal process.

Anderson argued that a spiked cup of coffee was responsible for the failed test and pursued this line of defence during the appeal process only for the UKAD to rule against him.  The BBBoC could not confirm the situation in full during the appeal as they are not allowed to make anything public: ‘unless and until the decision that an Anti-Doping Rule Violation was committed is affirmed on appeal’.  Paul Smith subsequently won the vacant belt by beating Tony Dodson by sixth-round TKO in June.

Anderson has maintained throughout that a tampered drink on the eve of the fight led to his positive test, yet the UKAD handed down the ban.  Saying: ‘…it was decided that the boxer’s case was not proved on the balance of probabilities’ — the ban has been backdated to November 9th 2013.  Charles Flint QC, of the appeals panel, said: “This is the final decision.  The appeal has been dismissed.”  It means that Anderson would have to go through the Court of Arbitration for Sport now that the appeal process with the UKAD has been exhausted.

The 30-year-old’s trainer Kevin Maree said Anderson had vacated the title for “personal reasons” when speaking to BoxingScene in February; he had hoped to see his charge back in action as soon as possible.  This ban, though, has ruled Anderson out for another year and he was ordered to hand his £15,000 purse from the contest back to the BBBoC as per the UKAD’s final ruling.

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