Eddie Hearn has revealed the extreme measures Anthony Joshua takes to avoid failing a drug test.
Countless fighters in both boxing and MMA have tested positive for banned substances due to accidental ingestion of contaminated food or supplements.
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Some fighters have even developed PEDS due to consuming food or drinks edgyA fact that has led AJ to implement an incredibly strict approach to what he puts into his body.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn explained GRM Daily“Whenever I go to a restaurant with A.J., I look at the food and think, because there’s some horrible stuff out there.
“You mixed something in the food and your career was over.
“And imagine, everything you built comes crashing down because of one evil person.”
Joshua, 34, is so susceptible to using banned substances that he does not drink anything other than pre-approved and sealed beverages after his fights.
Hearn added: “Here’s another example. After a tough fight, you might go into the ring and someone – either from the other team or somewhere else – will come up to you and give you something to drink.
“What’s in this? Do you understand what I mean? I’m not saying there’s something in this, but there might be.”
“So at the top level, like AJ, every bottle is tested.
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“Every bottle is sealed. Nothing comes into the changing room.
“You have to do that because you’re improving your career, your brand, your reputation.
“The worst thing in the world is to test positive for a substance you took without knowing it.
“Then you will be called a cheater for the rest of your life, even if you never did it.”
“I worry in that world because I know what people are like.”
There have been a number of failed drug tests in boxing over the past two years, with the most recent and high-profile case being Ryan Garcia, who failed a drug test before his fight with Devin Haney.
And Hearn believes the majority of positive tests are the result of fighters attempting to give themselves an unfair advantage in the ring.
He said: “I think about 20% of people who fail a drug test are legitimate fighters who are unlucky or inadvertently take a substance
“I think 80 percent of people cheat. And it’s very hard to establish what’s true.”
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“Because fighters never take illegal substances themselves.
“Someone will come to them and say we need to improve your strength and we can do some of that.
“And they probably won’t even tell them that it’s a banned substance. But most people are actually cheating.
“And we’re talking about testing for the barest trace levels in your blood.
“and in the MexicoIt is true that some meats contain testosterone.
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“And fighters test positive for it. Things like eggs, you don’t know what people are putting into animals.”
Joshua, a former two-time unified heavyweight champion, will take on IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois in a big domestic bout at Wembley on September 21.
