Lucas 'Big Daddy' Browne believes he should be given a shot at the WBA interim heavyweight title or even regular champion Ruslan Chagaev in the wake of the Luis Ortiz doping scandal.
Ortiz won the interim strap with a one round KO of Lateef Kayode in September, but the result has now been made a no contest and the belt is likely to be declared vacant after the Cuban tested positive for the banned substance Nandrolone.
The Nevada State Athletic Committee held a meeting on Monday and unanimously voted to ban Ortiz for eight months (backdated to September) and fine him $8,000.
Browne is ranked number five by the WBA, but with Bryant Jennings likely to face Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin and Tyson Fury exploring options with other sanctioning bodies, the hard-hitting Aussie is the highest available contender.
"I'm so close to landing a huge fight, I can almost touch it," Browne, 22-0 (19 KOs), said. "I'm crossing my fingers that I'm going to land a title fight early this year and I'll make sure that I grab the opportunity with both hands, if it eventuates." [Click Here To Read More]
Ortiz won the interim strap with a one round KO of Lateef Kayode in September, but the result has now been made a no contest and the belt is likely to be declared vacant after the Cuban tested positive for the banned substance Nandrolone.
The Nevada State Athletic Committee held a meeting on Monday and unanimously voted to ban Ortiz for eight months (backdated to September) and fine him $8,000.
Browne is ranked number five by the WBA, but with Bryant Jennings likely to face Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin and Tyson Fury exploring options with other sanctioning bodies, the hard-hitting Aussie is the highest available contender.
"I'm so close to landing a huge fight, I can almost touch it," Browne, 22-0 (19 KOs), said. "I'm crossing my fingers that I'm going to land a title fight early this year and I'll make sure that I grab the opportunity with both hands, if it eventuates." [Click Here To Read More]