Random drug tests should be done frequently in order to tackle the issue of doping, according to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua said after Dillian Whyte failed a doping test ahead of their fight.
The two British boxers were set to clash at London's O2 Arena in a rematch of their 2015 bout, when Joshua clinched victory, but the fight was called off after the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) said Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings in a random dope test.
Whyte, who was banned for two years from 2012 to 2014 after testing positive for a banned stimulant, said he had not taken the reported substance after the latest test. It must be noted that Finn Robert Helenius replaced Whyte to fight Joshua.
"There's a doping problem in the sport, definitely," Joshua told reporters on Wednesday."... It happens in boxing. It's not the first (time) and won't be the last."
Professional boxing does not follow the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, and VADA offers regulatory services for certain boxers or promotions.
"But how can people get away with doping if you're getting random drug tests? I get drug-tested all year round," the 33-year-old Joshua said.
"Every quarter, I have to submit my whereabouts: where I'm going to be, every day, for (a 60-minute time slot) so they can turn up randomly.
"I've submitted that every day of my life since 2011, so I don't know why I'm under this pressure but all these other boxers aren't. When you sign up to a promoter they should all have that in the deal."
Apart from Whyte, former light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan was also slapped with a two-year ban in April after a prohibited substance was detected in his sample following his fight against Kell Brook.
British welterweight Conor Benn also failed two voluntary drug tests last year and only resumed his career last month.
The result of the Joshua v Whyte bout could have put either fighter in line for a lucrative clash with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
"Look where we are now. We lost the fight and nearly lost the card because of this situation," Joshua said.