By Terence Dooley

Kenny Anderson's two-year UKAD ban expired at midnight on Friday, leaving the former British Super middleweight champion free to resume his career.  Anderson, 18-1 (13), was sanctioned after testing positive for amphetamines following his fifth-round TKO win over former WBC world titlist Robin Reid in October 2012.  He also had to forfeit his £15,000 purse. 

Anderson, though, argued that his coffee had been spiked the night before the contest and he vigorously protested the UKAD's decision.  The appeal process returned the same result, so the UKAD retrospectively banned him in May of the following year and backdated the ban from November 9th 2012.

The 31-year-old is now free to recommence a boxing career that was starting to take off only to be derailed by the positive test.  Prior to beating Reid, the Edinburgh-based boxer had pushed George Groves close in a November 2010 meeting for the Londoner's Commonwealth belt—Groves was floored in the third before rallying to stop Anderson at 2:35 of the sixth. 

Anderson and Groves were due to meet for the British belt in 2012, but two prospective dates were nixed due to injuries suffered by the champion, who later went on to twice contest the world title against Nottingham's Carl Froch (TKO 9 and KO 8 respectively).

Anderson vacated his title in February 2012, allowing Paul Smith and Tony Dodson to vie for the vacant belt.  Smith picked up the Lonsdale belt courtesy of a sixth-round TKO, but has since fought for the WBO belt against Arthur Abraham—a decision defeat—so the title has almost been as inactive as Anderson.

Still, Anderson is now free to resume his career, should he wish to do so, and will be a welcome addition to Britain's strong 168lb roster.

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