As BoxingScene.com reported several days ago, WBA "regular" heavyweight champion Manuel Charr has had to call off his upcoming title defence, and is likely set to be stripped of his WBA belt, after testing positive for steroids.

The 33-year-old was due to defend his title against American Fres Oquendo, 45, in Cologne on September 29, but the fight is off after Charr tested positive for two anabolic steroids.

"Under the circumstances, we will unfortunately have to cancel the world title fight," Charr told Cologne-based newspaper Express and his management confirmed the title defence was off to SID. I can only ask my fans and all the people in Cologne to believe me and to trust that everything will be cleared up. I'm totally shocked by the news - I have never taken anything."

Germany's top selling daily Bild, Express and magazine Spiegel all report Charr tested positive for the steroids epitrenbolone and drostanolone.

"These are both anabolic steroids. That is absolute hardcore doping. In boxers, the emphasis is on increasing muscle strength," doping expert Fritz Soergel told Bild.

The 'B' sample will now be tested, but if they also contain the steroids then the future looks bleak for Charr.

"The fight is shelved. In my opinion, the WBA will take the belt off Manuel," Thomas Puetz, President of the German Professional Boxers Federation (BDB), told SID.

"Two substances were founds in one of Manuel's samples taken at a training camp on 31 August, which have been on the banned list for some time."

Oquendo had previously been set to fight Shannon Briggs for the WBA title - and that fight was called off due to Briggs testing positive for performance enhancers.

"The WBA should do the right thing and crown me champion. I shouldn't be punished for something I'm doing right, which is not cheating," Oquendo said on social media.

Charr won the vacant WBA belt last November with a unanimous win against Russia's Alexander Ustinov.

Oquendo has not fought since 2014, and the WBA's "super" champion at the weight is Anthony Joshua.