A much-anticipated boxing match featuring Olympic champion Tony Yoka has been cancelled just days before the event after his opponent returned an adverse result in a pre-fight doping test.
According to Beyond Time News, the development forced organisers to call off the entire event in Paris.
Fight Scrapped in Paris
The heavyweight bout between Tony Yoka and Lawrence Okolie was scheduled to take place in Paris.
However, the fight was cancelled after anti-doping officials reported an adverse finding in Okolie’s routine testing before the contest.
Promoters attempted to find a replacement opponent at short notice, but failed to finalise arrangements, leading to the full cancellation.
Okolie Denies Wrongdoing
Okolie responded to the situation, saying the issue is linked to injury treatment rather than any wrongdoing. He confirmed that he is cooperating with authorities and expects the matter to be resolved after investigation.
According to Beyond Time News, he remains confident that his name will be cleared.
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Fighters’ Profiles
Okolie, a former world champion at cruiserweight, recently moved up to heavyweight and has remained unbeaten in the division.
Tony Yoka, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, has been rebuilding his professional career with a series of recent victories.
Conclusion
The cancellation has disappointed boxing fans who were looking forward to a major heavyweight clash in Paris. According to Beyond Time News, further decisions now depend on the outcome of ongoing investigations related to the test result.
