bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Britain’s Anthony Joshua dismissed a claim by New Zealand’s Joseph Parker he is the “king of steroids” ahead of their world heavyweight title unification bout.
The two boxers will meet in Cardiff on March 31, with Joshua, a London 2012 Olympic gold medallist, looking to add Parker’s World Boxing Organisation title to the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organisation belts he already holds.
Whoever wins at the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium will be eyeing a bout with World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
After his fight with Joshua was confirmed on Sunday, Parker gave an interview to New Zealand’s Radio Sport in which he said: “They call me the king of pies, but I call him the king of steroids.”
But Joshua, speaking at London’s Dorchester Hotel, said the “pies” jibe was the work of British television chat show host Graham Norton and dismissed Parker’s allegations of drug use.
“I’ve heard so much in boxing trash talk that nothing’s new anymore,” Joshua said.
“Can I sue him?” he asked to laughter from reporters.

“I know my records are clean,” insisted the 28-year-old Englishman. “That’s why I don’t bite at it.
“It is what it is. If I’m not clean, you’ll find out this fight. If I haven’t been clean for all my other fights, you’ll see me struggle against Parker because anything I have been taking will be out of my system.
“Trash talk has a place in boxing if it’s natural but you shouldn’t use it as a tool to sell the fight. I would never put on an act to sell a fight.”
The issue of drugs in heavyweight boxing has been thrown into sharp relief by the case of Britain’s former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Last month Fury, who has repeatedly taunted Joshua, agreed a compromise with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) over his positive test for the banned steroid nandrolone that led to him receiving a two-year ban backdated to December 2015.
The 29-year-old has not fought since being crowned world champion with his shock victory against Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015,

“In this sport, your life’s on the line. Anything to do with that type of stuff you have to be careful,” said Joshua. “People’s lives are on the line, it’s not like a game of golf.”
Both Joshua and Parker will be putting their unbeaten professional records as well as their titles on the line.
Parker’s camp suggested Joshua has a weak chin, pointing out that he was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko last year, before getting off the canvas to be crowned world champion.
But Joshua told a broadcast news conference at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Tuesday: “It will take more than a human to stop me getting where I’m destined to be.
“That’s why I learned to not walk with sight, I walk with faith in this journey so in terms of you, using it as a PR stunt and the rumours you have heard, they are fake news,” he added.
“Three times I’ve been hurt or stopped. What I have learned from those adversities and storms, it will take more than any human to stop me from this journey.”
Joshua has won all 20 of his professional bouts inside the distance, while Parker is unbeaten in a 24-fight career.


Mind over matter: Hong Kong boxer Tyson Ng picks up mental skills, gets into WBC rankings

Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury in heavyweight title rematch, wins by unanimous decision

‘He’s done’: meet Mike Tyson’s supportive wife Lakiha ‘Kiki’ Spicer, who doesn’t want him to fight any more – she met the legendary boxer when she was 18, and went to prison in 2008 on fraud charges

World Boxing announces new Asian body not linked to International Boxing Association

Boxing

King of steroids? Anthony Joshua laughs off Joseph Parker drug taunts ahead of heavyweight clash

Anthony Joshua (left) and Joseph Parker attend a press conference in central London to promote their March 31 world heavyweight title unification bout. Photo: AFP

New Zealand's Joseph Parker, WBO world heavyweight champion, is interviewed at a press conference in central London on January 16, 2018 to promote his March 31 world heavyweight unification bout against Britain's Anthony Joshua, WBA and IBF world heavyweight boxing champion, to be fought in Cardiff. Heavyweight boxing moved closer to having an undisputed world champion after it was announced Sunday that Britain's Anthony Joshua and New Zealand's Joseph Parker will meet for a multiple title bout in Cardiff on March 31. Joshua will put his World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) belts on the line against Parker, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) champion. Joshua is also holds the IBO heavywieght championship belt. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNIS

Britain's Anthony Joshua, WBA and IBF world heavyweight boxing champion, attends a press conference in central London on January 16, 2018 to promote his March 31 world heavyweight unification bout against New Zealand's Joseph Parker, WBO world heavyweight champion, to be fought in Cardiff. Heavyweight boxing moved closer to having an undisputed world champion after it was announced Sunday that Britain's Anthony Joshua and New Zealand's Joseph Parker will meet for a multiple title bout in Cardiff on March 31. Joshua will put his World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) belts on the line against Parker, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) champion. Joshua also holds the IBO world heavyweight boxing championship belt. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNIS

Sport

The two champions meet in Cardiff on March 31 but Britain’s Joshua refuses to bite after New Zealander’s trash talk
