Amir Khan has denied accusations of doping after testing positive for an illegal substance following his fight against Kell Brook earlier this year.
To make things even more curious, he has also suggested the traces detected could have come from nothing more than a simple handshake.
Khan was hit with a two-year ban from all sport on Tuesday, April 4, as the result of a failed drug test taken after his defeat to fierce rival Kell Brook back in February last year — his final fight before retiring in May 2022.
The Bolton-born boxer tested positive for an anabolic agent called ostarine — a selective androgen receptor modulator which promotes muscle growth — on 19 February following a urine sample that was taken after the AO Arena bout, but the 36-year-old insists he has “never cheated”.
"I've never cheated in my life"
Amir Khan speaks exclusively to Sky News after discovering he has been given a two-year ban from all sports after he tested positive for a banned substance following his fight with Kell Brook last year 🔽 pic.twitter.com/UYxUb1nnj9
Amir Khan denies doping and says it was clear he wasn’t on any performance-altering substances.
Speaking to Sky News in an impromptu interview, Khan expressed his surprise at the decision, remarking: “I am a retired fighter. You can see by my performance against Kell Brook [that it] wasn’t the best. I lost the fight. If I went in there and knocked Kell Brook out it is different.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He went on to insist that he has “never cheated in [his] life” and that he was “the one who wanted the testing done”. The now-retired fighter accepted a violation of anti-doping rules but claims he didn’t intentionally ingest the substance, agreeing to an independent panel following a hearing back in January.
Khan went on to suggest that “[given] the amount that was in my system, [it] could have come from shaking peoples’ hands. I don’t know what the drug was in my system. I will give my views, but, like I say, I have never cheated in my life. I would never cheat…
ADVERTISEMENT
“I have got this two-year ban now, which is quite strange. I have already retired anyway. No comeback plans at all.”
Nevertheless, despite the UK Anti-Doping ruling out “deliberate or reckless conduct” on 21 February 2022, they still decided to impose a two-year ban (as opposed to the more severe four-year suspension) on the grounds of “strict liability”.
As UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble explained, “Strict liability means athletes are ultimately responsible for what they ingest and for the presence of any prohibited substances in a sample.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Either way, if he was indeed guilty of doping, it now makes no difference to Khan’s future given that he has been retired for nearly a year now and has reiterated that there are no plans to make a return to the ring, hanging up his boxing gloves with a record of 34 wins and six losses.
In fact, his next career move will see him return to the jungle for the all-star lineup of I’m A Celebrity later this month. I’m sure we’ll hear all about the controversy then — ‘Strawberry-gate’, we mean.
Featured Image — Amir Khan/Kell Brook (via Instagram)
Sport
Tommy Fury announces huge fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall
Daisy Jackson
Tommy Fury has announced his next major boxing match – against a rather unlikely opponent.
The Manc boxer and former Love Island star will face Eddie Hall, who once reigned as the World’s Strongest Man and was the first person on the planet to deadlift 500kg.
The match, billed as Beauty vs The Beast (we’ll let you decide who’s who…), will take place at the AO Arena this summer.
Tommy Fury and Eddie Hall will be facing off in Manchester as part of the Misfits Boxing series, a sports promotion company founded by YouTube sensation KSI.
26-year-old Fury – younger brother of heavyweight legend Tyson Fury – remains unbeaten, seeing off all-comers in the crossover boxing world.
As for 38-year-old Eddie Hall (nicknamed The Beast), he retired as a strongman competitor, where he’s previously been crowned the World’s Strongest Man, and has now pivoted into combat sports.
The pair have collaborated recently on several videos online, taking on challenges like a One Punch Knockout and a breakfast eating competition.
But this will be the first time they’ve publicly faced off in the ring.
Misfirst Boxing has once more delivered the biggest match-ups possible in the crossover boxing space, with Fury vs. Hall promising to be a titanic tussle that will captivate fans around the world.
Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall, Beauty vs The Beast, will take place on Saturday 13 June at the AO Arena in Manchester – you can get tickets HERE.
Corey Blackett-Taylor ruled out injured for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers winger Corey Blackett-Taylor has been ruled out for the rest of the season following injury.
With not that long left in this year’s campaign and the playoff scrap set to ramp up even further in the coming weeks, it’s an unfortunate twist of fate for the Trotters.
Despite still being only a relatively recent signing, having just joined Bolton in the most recent January transfer window, it didn’t take long for him to make a good impression.
Scoring on debut in a 1-0 away win against AFC Wimbledon, the 28-year-old is now set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 term, letting supporters know the news on Friday, 27 March.
Blackett-Taylor was forced off in the game against Rotherham United after pulling up in the wake of taking a shot, ultimately being subbed in the first half.
It was quickly confirmed to be a thigh injury, and while the specific nature and severity of the damage haven’t been fully detailed, he has now informed fans that his season is over.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “Instantly from arriving at the club, I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players.
“I have no doubts [about] the club achieving their targets of promotion – I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
He isn’t the only impactful League One player at a side eyeing up the Championship to have been hampered by setbacks on the physio bench, with rivals Stockport County also confirming an absence at this crucial point in the campaign.
Not ideal for either of the Greater Manchester hopefuls.
Once again, while the recovery period for both of these players has already begun, the exact timelines for their return remain to be seen.
That being said, chances are we’ll see the Derby County loanee back in action before Hills, though we’ll have to wait to find out whether it will be at the Toughsheet Stadium or back with his parent club.
Who do you think is going to clinch that third promotion place at Wembley come this May?
Danny Jones -
4th April 2023 
