Joshua to boxing body: You are soft on drug cheats

Anthony Joshua is worried the boxing authorities will not take the sport’s drugs cheats seriously until a fighter is killed in the ring.

Joshua is stunned Jarrell Miller, his original opponent for his US debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 1, has received just a six-month ban from the WBA for failing THREE doping tests.

The unbeaten WBA Super, IBF and WBO heavyweight king, who will now face little-known American Andy Ruiz Jr that night, clams Miller should have been hammered because he was on three banned substances, including human growth hormone.

He feels the governing bodies need to be more sincere in tackling the problem and thinks it may take a fatality to make them act.

“We heard the WBA gave him six months,” said Joshua, during his media day at his Sheffield training camp. “I would have given him something different. These are top guys. How are they getting to the top, that’s what you question. I find it f***ing hard. Imagine me with a needle in my a*** — I’d be flying!

“It’s hard, and it’s out of control. But it’s not taken so seriously by those in charge — like racism in football. That’s happening, but not taken so seriously.

“Maybe it will take something serious to happen, maybe like a death.”

Joshua has cut one of the knuckles on his left hand, a testimony to how hard he is grafting and is annoyed some fighters use drugs as a shortcut.

Rival British heavyweight Tyson Fury ’s failed drugs test has been swept under the carpet since his draw with Deontay Wilder last year and Joshua claims the punishment must fit the crime.

“Tyson Fury’s had his issues,” he said. “He’s fighting again and it’s forgotten about.