Derek Chisora has called for a 10-year ban to be imposed on boxers found guilty of being drugs cheats

Derek Chisora has called on boxers to be banned from the sport for 10 years if they are proven to be drugs cheats.

It comes after a week of turbulence for the sport, in which Dillian Whyte “returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol” - leading to his clash with Anthony Joshua being cancelled.

Whyte has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was “shocked and devastated” by the news.

In a statement, he said: "I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life. I am completely innocent and ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by media.”

Finnish fighter Robert Helenius has stepped in to take Whyte’s place in the fight with Joshua, with Chisora going up against Gerald Washington on Saturday’s undercard at the O2 Arena in London.

Chisora said: “I think they should put a rule now. If you get caught taking any supplements in boxing, this is from the British Board of Control, it’s going to have to be a 10-year ban straight away.

“A 10-year ban because how about if you hit that kid and he dies. What you going to do?

“I’ve boxed for twenty years now. I’ve never taken any drugs. The only time I’ve been banned from boxing is when I bit somebody’s ear, but that’s it. But not banned for drugs,” he said.

Chisora received his five-month suspension, and was fined £2,500 in 2010, after biting Paul Butlin’s ear and claiming he was “bored” in their fight and wanted to “liven things up”.

As a full investigation looks into the results returned by Whyte, the incident casts yet more shadows over boxing’s issues with drug testing.

Britain’s Amir Khan is serving a two-year ban from all sport after he tested positive for prohibited substance ostarine following his fight against Kell Brook in February 2022.

More recently, UK Anti-Doping lifted a ban on Conor Benn, who failed two drug tests in the build-up to his cancelled fight with Chris Eubank Jr.

Ahead of his bout with Washington, Chisora has reflected on the regularity of drug test issues.

“It’s a problem in this sport of ours. Boxing is already a harder sport enough, to fight somebody’s kid, you know, when you’re not on drugs,” he said.

“It’s not even the fighters that I blame. I want to blame the trainers, you know. Your boxing trainer, your S&C [strength and conditioning] coaches. Those are the guys that give you that s***.

“You don’t see a fighter go, ‘let me go online, let me get this to, I’m gonna enhance my body’. No, no, no. I blame the trainers.

“Boxing already, it’s already a hard, hard sport already without people taking drugs”, Chisora said.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media