Anthony Joshua barely felt the need to dignify Joseph Parker’s claim that Joshua is “king of the steroids” with a serious response.
Shortly after the heavyweight unification bout was confirmed on Sunday, Parker questioned Joshua’s famously muscular physique.
WBO heavyweight champion Parker claimed he had “heard word” of some nefarious substance-taking from Joshua in an interview which Parker’s camp quickly moved to distance themselves from.
“If you are that big and that muscly, there’s something wrong,” the Kiwi added.
'AJ' will be furious https://t.co/4gxWFKIIXw
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 16, 2018
Joshua and Parker came face-to-face for the first time on Tuesday as the promotion of their March 31 showdown in Cardiff kicked into gear.
Prior to a heated exchange between the undefeated heavyweights’ promoters, the predictable question arrived from the reporters in attendance as the subject of Parker’s allegation was put to Joshua.
“Can I sue him?” Joshua laughed.
Joshua will put his WBA (Super), IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles on the line at the Principality Stadium and he expects plenty of trash talk from his opponent in the build-up to their meeting.
But we shouldn’t expect any more jibes about potential steroid use from Parker because, not only has his promoter warned him off that subject but ‘AJ’ has proven that he won’t rise to the completely unfounded accusation.
“I know my records are clean,” Joshua said. “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.”
