James DeGale incredibly claims boxing is ‘rife’ with drug cheats ahead of Chris Eubank Jr fight
JAMES DeGALE claims performance enhancing drugs are “rife” in boxing.
DeGale, who fights Chris Eubank Jr this month, suggested boxing is not a clean sport and called for fighters who test positive for performance enhancing drugs to be “banned for life";.
Last year boxing's biggest global attraction Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned substance often used for stripping weight.
In May, Canelo saw his rematch with Gennady Golovkin postponed as he was handed a mere six month suspension.
Alvarez would go on to beat GGG for the middleweight world titles in September - coinciding just as his suspension expired.
Speaking on talkSPORT, DeGale claimed retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi, now a part of the super-middleweight’s team, has told the Brit how affected boxing is by dopers in the US.
DeGale said: “Believe it or not, performance-enhancing drugs is rife in the sport. There’s so many people over the last couple of years that have been done.
“Trust me, it’s rife in America, in America it’s mad, it’s crazy.
“I speak to Paulie Malignaggi, he’s part of my team now. When I sit down and speak to him it’s mind-boggling.
“Some of the stuff he knows, some of the stuff he tells you and some of the stories he knows. It’s so interesting.
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“You should be banned for life, if you get found out, you should be banned for life. It’s dangerous man, boxing’s a dangerous sport already.
“So when you’re putting stuff in your body that’s making you stronger, more powerful, hit harder, train harder, it’s crazy stuff."