Anthony Crolla has opened up on the effect of PEDs within the sport of boxing during the latest edition of Betfred’s Lightweight Boxing Show.
Reflecting with Dom McGuinness a week after the cancelled Chris Eubank vs Conor Benn fight at the O2 Arena, the former WBA lightweight world champion spoke freely on the topic, away from the furore of the Canary Riverside Plaza hotel lobby he found himself in when speculation was rife that the bout was off.
“We've got to be honest,” said the 35-year-old. “People will always be looking for an edge to cheat, to give them an unfair advantage, not just in boxing, in all sports, but there’s a big difference in boxing.”
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“I'm not saying it's right [in other sports] because they'll suffer in other ways. It’ll be financially through [losing] sponsorship, through [losing] the glory of stepping on a podium, getting a gold medal, but they can't physically cause damage to someone doing that.
“And that's why I'm so strong on it in boxing, in other combat sports, whether it be MMA etc. That's why I'm so strong on it and that's why more than anything, there's got to be tougher sentences. Listen, money is a thing, where it'd be great if every fighter at all levels could be tested year round.
“Realistically that's not going to happen. And it's only when you get to a certain level that you start getting tested. I said last week it was such a shame for boxing. It was on Good Morning Britain.
“It was fever pitch in the build up - everyone was talking about it - and then everyone was talking about it for the wrong reasons. You had to explain to everyone why it was cancelled. People have their opinions, but yeah it was a bad week. I think performance enhancing drugs will always be a problem in boxing, in sport.
“All we can do is hope that the testers, committees, boards make it more and more difficult for them to take performance enhancing drugs and get away with it.”
“Conor Benn has got the right to try and clear his name. He might do that, but at the minute it doesn't look good for him at all with what’s been found in the system and the reasons why that would be in the system.
“However, it's with these different organisations and there was a crazy argument about like ‘well, UKAD he passed with them,’ but I saw someone sarcastically on social media saying, ‘well, that's just like failing a drink driving test on the Wednesday, but then on the Friday you pass it because you sobered up.’ I mean, it‘s that simple. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s that simple.
“You didn't get tested on the same day, so things can be out of your system by then. It was a massive black eye for boxing but hopefully this week, the girls [Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall], the big show at the O2 in London, can put boxing in a good light.”
You can hear the full thoughts of Anthony Crolla and Dom McGuinness on this week’s Betfred Lightweight Boxing Show including a full preview of the rescheduled Shields vs Marshall card with interviews from all the main players as well as trainer Peter Fury and promoter/manager Dmitry Salita at 5pm this Friday.
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