List of All Articles with Tag 'epgb sports'

England face Colombia in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals as the Lionesses continue their knockout campaign in Sydney on Saturday. The European champions survived a major scare against Nigeria in the last-16, winning a tense penalty shoot-out after playing extra time with 10 players as star forward Lauren James was sent off. James, who has been England’s player of the tournament, will be suspended for the quarter-final after the 21-year-old stamped on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as England prepare for Colombia clash The Lionesses know they will need to improve when they take on a dangerous Colombia side, who shocked heavyweights Germany in the group stages and progressed to their first ever World Cup quarter-final thanks to a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the last-16. England defender Lucy Bronze admitted the Lionesses are “not happy” with their level of performances so far, but victory against Colombia would move Sarina Wiegman’s side a step away from a place in their first ever Women’s World Cup final. Here’s everything you need to know. When is England vs Colombia? The quarter-final will be played on Saturday 12 August at Stadium Australia in Sydney, with kick-off at 11:30am UK time (BST). How can I watch it? It will be shown live on ITV 1 and ITV X, with coverage starting from 10:45am. What is the team news? After her red card against Nigeria, Lauren James will serve a two -match suspension and will miss England’s quarter-final against Colombia. With England’s player of the tournament unavailable, Sarina Wiegman has a selection headache as she looks to replace the creative heartbeat of the team. James shone in the No 10 position of England’s new 3-5-2 system, with Manchester United’s Ella Toone an option. If Wiegman continues with a back three, another option she could have is replacing James with Chloe Kelly and playing the winger and Lauren Hemp either side of striker Alessia Russo in a 3-4-3. Keira Walsh made her return from injury in the win over Nigeria, but did not look completely comfortable in England’s new system and came off with cramp at the end of extra time. Walsh is one of England’s most important players but Katie Zelem impressed in the 6-1 win against China and could be called upon again. Another player pushing for a start is Bethany England, with Russo often left isolated against Nigeria. England’s defence is looking settled and is unlikely to change, but three players are a booking away from being suspended from the semi-finals if England make it through. Georgia Stanway, Bronze and Hemp all come into the match on a yellow card. Predicted line-up England: Earps; Carter, Bright, Greenwood; Bronze, Stanway, Walsh, Daly; Toone; Russo, Hemp How did both teams reach the quarter-finals? England (Winners Group D) 1-0 vs Haiti 1-0 vs Denmark 6-1 vs China 0-0 vs Nigeria (Won 4-2 on penalties) Colombia (Winners Group H) 2-0 vs South Korea 2-1 vs Germany 0-1 vs Morocco 1-0 vs Jamaica If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch England vs Colombia then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today England reach World Cup dividing line as Sarina Wiegman faces crunch decision How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? England reach World Cup dividing line as Sarina Wiegman faces crunch decision Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Bethany England reveals ‘biggest danger’ facing Lionesses against Colombia

Earlier this summer, when there was still the feeling that Manchester United might come in for Harry Kane, it was put to one figure at the club that Bayern Munich were very confident of getting him. "They have no experience of dealing with Daniel Levy," came the response. The German champions have since found out the very hard way. Extremely late on in the Kane deal, just as the player was about to board the plane, negotiations were ongoing with Tottenham about the make-up of the final figures. Levy has long been insistent that 80 percent of the overall package should be guaranteed and the total fee should come to £120 million. This has made many people in the football industry roll their eyes, but it all reflects how the chairman has long divided Tottenham fans. The cries of "Levy out" and "get out of our club" grew louder and louder last season, in that gleaming new stadium. Those who back him, and have admittedly been the far quieter party lately, would point to how he has gradually built the club from a glamorous but under-performing name to one of the Premier League's "super clubs" with the best infrastructure in Europe. They were included in the Super League, after all. Levy is clearly adept at long-term macro business strategy. Those who criticise him, and many of the fans would not even give him the credit for the business side, say this is constantly undercut by a short-term misunderstanding of football. The entire Kane saga has almost encapsulated all of this. While Levy may get the maximum price, it could come at the cost of being able to prepare properly from a purely football perspective. That is far from the first time that has been said. As one figure involved in negotiations said, "it's almost impossible to get a star out of Spurs much before 31 August". It was similar with Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and now - the one the club and fans value above all of them - Kane. Levy seeks to get absolutely everything out of the deal, cranking up the pressure as he himself remains unmoved. Carrick once explained exactly what that was like. The midfielder was in a similar position to Kane in the summer of 2016, when he felt he had to leave for Manchester United to fulfil his talent. Carrick got so frustrated with Levy's refusal to deal with the Old Trafford hierarchy, though, that he decided to call the Spurs chairman himself. The repeated message back was simple. “Well, they need to pay the money,” Levy said. “It was all about the money for Daniel, just driving the price up and up,” Carrick wrote in his autobiography. “Arguing with Daniel was pointless. I would have got more joy talking to a brick wall.” Carrick appealed again, and got the same response again. “Well, they need to pay the money.” Bayern are finding similar. A big question is whether this singular approach becomes self-defeating, especially when viewed from the other side. Those who know Mauricio Pochettino say that he still has huge regrets that he didn't make his Spurs the force that Liverpool became, and puts it down to a refusal by the club to properly spend in 2017-18. The two clubs were then at a similar level but that was the point when Jurgen Klopp went big on Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. Pochettino had requested some of the names that Liverpool wanted - including Sadio Mane - but Levy felt it was better to build in a sustainable way, with an emphasis on youth. The paths diverged. Liverpool went on to win the title and the Champions League, beating Spurs in the final. While Spurs went stale and Pochettino was eventually sacked. So many involved feel that it was a huge missed opportunity, that in large part came from Levy's failure to understand there are key points when teams need further investment to reap much more. There was a similar theme with Spurs’ sales. The Argentine had felt as early as 2017 that the team needed an overhaul and that it could actually be damaging to keep players around because of that danger of staleness. Levy insisted on huge prices for those like Danny Rose, though, and never got them. The team never refreshed. It almost represented a classic false economy. Those who defend Levy - and there are many in the game - would insist that is because he simply has to take an even longer-term view. The proof is in how Spurs have grown, and that stadium. Sources involved in the Super League say it was his business acumen that got Spurs into it since other executives wanted him but not the club. This is the contrast that feeds into how divisive he is. Levy gets the business side. He doesn't get the football side. This can become an issue when, as many sources say, he gets so hands-on in deals. The three immediate successors to Pochettino were all bad appointments, that just didn't fit with what Spurs were. They represented deviations from the club's philosophy. A perception has been that Levy got too distracted by big names - especially Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte - forgetting what Spurs were. A place for up-and-coming players and managers to make their name; since they are not yet in that truly elite bracket of clubs. Others in football who are more critical of Levy would go even further. They say a lot of this is about "ego"; that he needs to be involved; that he needs to get the best deals. A common view is this can be self-defeating for Spurs, because it affects football preparation. Take the Kane negotiations, to come full circle. Levy has long been adamant that he absolutely does not want to sell to an English club, because they are Spurs' competitors. That has long put off United, who just didn't want to get into protracted and frustrated negotiations with Levy again. But what has that resulted in? Had Spurs accepted the reality, which is that they are a level below United, they could have generated an auction that brought even more money. That's how valuable Kane is. Bayern will have to pay the price. The wonder is whether it also comes at some cost to Spurs and not just because they're losing one of their all-time greats. Follow all the latest on our Premier League transfers live blog Read More Fantasy Premier League: 30 players you must consider for 2023/24 season Premier League LIVE: Harry Kane ‘stopped on way to Stansted airport’ as Bayern Munich move halted Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich move in doubt after Tottenham last-minute U-turn Premier League record scorers: How many goals do Alan Shearer and Harry Kane have? Premier League LIVE: Kane to Bayern hit by delay and transfer updates

Super-lightweight boxer Campbell Hatton spoke with The Independent ahead of his fight on the Anthony Joshua undercard against Tom Ansell. The Manchester-born fighter spoke about how it felt when Dillian Whyte pulled out of the headline fight and the relief when Robert Helenius was announced as a replacement. Hatton also spoke about the challenge of taking on a fighter like Ansell, fighting in some of the UK’s biggest arenas and how his dad, Ricky Hatton, reacted to his son following him into the ring. Stay up to date with all the latest boxing news with Independent Sport.

Japan face the biggest test of their Women’s World Cup campaign yet as they take on Sweden in the quarter-finals. Japan have been the standout team of the World Cup so far to emerge as one of the favourites for the title. The 2011 champions are the tournament’s top scorers, with striker Hinata Miyazawa leading the golden boot standings with five goals from four games. But Sweden offer a true test of those title ambitions, after the Olympic silver medalists knocked out the United States on penalties in the last-16. After a 0-0 draw against the USA, Sweden progressed in dramatic fashion after Lina Hurtig’s penalty was ruled to have crossed the line by an inch. The winner will play Spain in the last four after La Roja defeated the Netherlands 2-1 to reach their first ever Women’s World Cup semi-final, thanks to Salma Paralluelo’s extra-time winner. Follow live updates from Japan vs Sweden as the World Cup quarter-finals continue, following Spain vs Netherlands Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final Lauren James handed ban for World Cup red card

In-form Japan face their biggest test of their Women’s World Cup campaign yet as they take on Sweden in the quarter-finals. Japan have been the standout team of the tournament so far in Australia and New Zealand, thrashing Spain 4-0 in the group stages, and progressed to the quarter-finals after a 3-1 win over Norway in the last-16. The 2011 World Cup champions are the tournament’s top scorers so far, with striker Hinata Miyazawa leading the golden boot standings with five goals from four games, as Japan have emerged as one of the favourites for the title. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Spain vs Netherlands updates as quarter-finals begin But Sweden offer a true test of those ambitions, after the Olympic silver medalists knocked out the defending champions United States on penalties in the last-16. After a 0-0 draw against the USA, Sweden progressed in dramatic fashion after Lina Hurtig’s penalty was ruled to have crossed the line by an inch. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Japan vs Sweden? The match takes place on Friday 11 August in Auckland, New Zealand. Kick-off is at 8:30am UK time (BST). What TV channel is it on? The quarter-final will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage starting from 8:00am BST. What is the team news? Japan and Sweden have been among the most consistent sides at the World Cup so far and could name unchanged line-ups for the quarter-final. A possible change for Japan manager Futoshi Ikeda is restoring Riko Ueki to the attack, but the front three of top scorer Miyazawa, Mina Tanaka and Aoba Fujino is looking hard to disrupt. Sweden are also looking settled but will need to be more adventurous against Japan, after Zecira Musovic’s heroics saved their World Cup hopes against the USA. How did both teams reach the quarter-finals? Japan (Winners Group C) 5-0 vs Zambia 2-0 vs Costa Rica 4-0 vs Spain 3-1 vs Norway Sweden (Winners Group G) 2-1 vs South Africa 5-0 vs Italy 2-0 vs Argentina 0-0 vs United States (Won 5-4 on penalties) Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Spain vs Netherlands LIVE: Women’s World Cup results and latest updates Lauren James handed ban for World Cup red card

Somewhere in a castle in Finland on Saturday night, five minutes removed from beating Mika Mielonen, Robert Helenius was posed a question. “Dillian Whyte is out; are you in?” Fighting Anthony Joshua in London on seven days’ notice was the proposition, and it was one that Helenius accepted with little hesitation. Four days on, he casually tells reporters in the English capital: “Nobody will remember a coward.” Few would have labelled Helenius as such, had he decided not to take this fight with Joshua in the wake of Whyte’s failed drug test, but the Finn himself would have lived with regret. That said, there was more to Helenius’s decision than just that. “Of course I think he’s vulnerable,” the 39-year-old says of Joshua, with whom he sparred in 2017. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise. I think I’d find easier jobs to do. I’m gonna take my chances and say now is the best time to fight him.” While Helenius fought just last Saturday, stopping Mielonen in the third round, Joshua enters the O2 Arena this week on the back of a points win over Jermaine Franklin. That victory came in the same venue, four months ago, and saw the Briton bounce back from two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Helenius’s win against Mielonen also marked an upturn in form, as the “Nordic Nightmare” responded positively to a first-round loss to Deontay Wilder. That knockout last October left Wilder in tears and Helenius pondering retirement. “I didn’t think about boxing for about six months,” Helenius says. “I just did some bag work now and then, and mainly strength training. I was weighing a lot in the wintertime...” Then came Saturday’s bout with Mielonen at Savonlinna’s opera venue, and the Anthony Joshua call. Helenius’s manager Markus Sundman says a deal was struck within 24 hours, with much of the negotiating done from a zoo in Finland. Sundman in fact got the call on Saturday morning but did not wish to bother Helenius until after the heavyweight had fought that evening. Did they accept the first offer they got? “No comment,” Helenius and Sundman laugh, though the boxer admits this is not the biggest payday of his career, with funds around this weekend’s event having been hit by Whyte’s exit. Another intriguing factor is the fighters’ past as sparring partners, when “AJ” prepared for his clash with Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. How did Helenius rate Joshua, now 33, at the time? “Hard hitter, good technicals, a little bit robotic. I felt pretty confident.” Helenius also acknowledges that Joshua has looked somewhat hesitant in his last three fights, saying: “I’ve seen that change, but he didn’t get knocked out against Usyk or in his last fight, he showed he’s still got it. You have to overcome the gun-shyness after you get knocked out. I’ve been knocked out three times, and I think the first time was the bad one; I was probably depressed for a few months after that. “But I think his last fight, he made a good fight. I have to be awake and nimble, explosive. I hope he’s coming for me [from the first bell]. I am looking forward to this. I’m here to win.” Helenius is serious. Ahead of his fight last week, the Finn had planned a family holiday to Lapland – a trip that is now on hold. “They understand, they’ve been all their life with me,” Helenius says of his children, who are 15, 13 and 10 years old and prefer football to boxing. And what did his wife think? “I can’t ask permission from home to do what I do,” Helenius says. “They either accept it or they don’t. Sometimes, of course, [I think about the dangers of boxing]; I would be stupid not to. And, of course, I’ve been thinking about having a normal life after boxing and not having any brain damage, but boxing is always boxing. And I love it, I love the adrenalin. The [concerns] don’t outweigh the feeling of getting a really good win.” Such a win would also make Helenius the sportsperson of the year in Finland, he and Sundman believe. “When this match got announced, it was in every newspaper and on TV – all the time for maybe 24 hours,” Helenius says. This is a huge occasion – for Joshua, for Helenius, and for Finland. Saturday’s card is an event that Helenius saved after Whyte’s “adverse finding”, and as the Finn prepares for his showdown with AJ, he warns: “My doping is that I have a really high level of Viking blood in me...” Watch Joshua vs Helenius live on Dazn by clicking here. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Read More It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted Joshua vs Helenius live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend ‘We need to get it at the root’: Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius on boxing’s doping ‘problem’ Anthony Joshua reveals which of his three defeats hurt the most Derek Chisora and Robert Helenius call for severe punishments for doping cheats Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius go in-depth on boxing’s doping ‘problem’

An airport has marked Luton Town’s return to the top flight with a giant message that plane passengers can read as they fly in. The huge painting is under Luton Airport’s flight path at Stockwood Park in the Bedfordshire town. It features midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu - who has played for Luton Town throughout their journey from non-league to the Premier League - and a message that reads: “Pundits, prepare to eat your hats. Luton Town FC has landed.” The black, white and purple painting took more than two days to finish and used about 500 litres of environmentally friendly paint.

Lauren James has been handed a two-game ban by Fifa after being sent off during England’s last-16 win over Nigeria, meaning she will miss both Saturday’s quarter-final with Colombia and the subsequent World Cup semi-final should her teammates progress. James was shown a red card after standing on Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie during the knockout game, which England won via a penalty shootout. The Chelsea forward was given an automatic one-match suspension and feared being ruled out of the tournament altogether, with Fifa typically increasing cases of “violent conduct” to a three-game ban. However, the governing body’s disciplinary committee showed some leniency and James could now return for the World Cup final, should England make it to the showpiece on Sunday 20 August in Sydney. James had apologised for the incident, posting in response to a tweet from Alozie: “All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened. Also, for our England fans and my team-mates, playing with and for you is my greatest honour and I promise to learn from my experience.” James became the fourth England player to be sent off in a World Cup knockout match after David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and current Lionesses captain Millie Bright. England manager Sarina Wiegman admitted James had “lost her emotions” during a moment of indiscretion which could see the 21-year-old miss the remainder of the World Cup through suspension. Alozie had earlier tweeted in defence of James. “Abeg, rest,” she wrote. “We are playing on the world’s stage. This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments. All respect for Lauren James.” And speaking on Thursday ahead of England’s quarter-final, teammate Beth England said the players had rallied around James. “Obviously she’s disappointed with what happened on the day,” England said. “It was a split second, emotional moment that happened. We’ve got around her. It is good that she’s acknowledged that and put her apology out ... we just move on from it now.” Read More Bethany England reveals ‘biggest danger’ facing Lionesses against Colombia Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

The quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup are set as England continue their preparations for Saturday’s clash with Colombia in Sydney. After a group stage of shocks and surprises, the tournament has reached its business end with several big names still standing. The Lionesses survived a scare to defeat Nigeria on penalties as Sarina Wiegman’s side reached the last eight, but they have now received news that star forward Lauren James is banned for two games after her red card in the last round, when she stamped on Michelle Alozie. The quarter-final action resumes tomorrow with a blockbuster pair of matches. First Spain will play Netherlands in an all-European clash, before Sweden face Japan, who have been the standout team at the World Cup so far. It’s England’s turn on Saturday as they face Colombia, after co-hosts Australia play France on what is set to be an electric night in Brisbane. Follow all the latest news from the Women’s World Cup in our live blog, below: Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Lauren James banned for two World Cup games by Fifa in blow to England Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final

Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich have finally reached an agreement over the transfer fee for Harry Kane after a summer of back and forth. According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, a proposal from the Bundesliga side believed to be worth more than €100m (£86.4m) was accepted by Spurs on Wednesday. The England captain will now have to decide whether he wants to stay in north London or move to the German giants. Meanwhile, Premier League managers are preparing for the new campaign that gets underway on Friday evening with a number of their final pre-season press conferences scheduled for Thursday to provide all-important team news. Fans who are finalising their Fantasy Premier League line-ups will be eagerly anticipating updates as the likes of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Vincent Kompany at Burnley, Sean Dyche at Everton and Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest all speak to the world’s press today. Elsewhere, the transfer carousel continues to spin with news that West Ham and Monaco are emerging as main competitors for Folarin Balogun as they are currently the only two clubs capable of meeting Arsenal’s £40m-plus asking price. The young striker’s preference had been to go to one of the Milan clubs, with Inter looking likeliest, but the Champions League finalists cannot get close to the fee. Follow all the latest news below: Read More Fantasy Premier League: 30 players you must consider for 2023/24 season West Ham enter race for Folarin Balogun as Arsenal set transfer price Chelsea make Moises Caicedo breakthrough over structure of Brighton transfer

Spain face Netherlands in an all-European clash at the Women’s World Cup as the quarter-finals get underway in Australia and New Zealand. Spain returned to form in the last-16 as they bounced back from their 4-0 defeat to Japan by thrashing Switzerland 5-1, with Aitana Bonmati playing a starring role with two goals. Head coach Jorge Vilda made five changes to his team, including dropping star Alexia Putellas to the bench, but was rewarded with an improved performance as Spain reached their first ever Women’s World Cup quarter-final. The Netherlands, who were runners-up in 2019, were given a stern test by South African in Sydney but progressed thanks to a stunning display from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar in the 2-0 win. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Spain vs Netherlands? The match takes place on Friday 11 August in Wellington, New Zealand. Kick-off is at 2am UK time (BST). What TV channel is it on? The quarter-final will be shown live on ITV 1, with coverage starting from 1:50am BST. What is the team news? Spain made five changes for the last-16 win against Switzerland, including first international starts for goalkeeper Cata Coll and centre-back Laia Codina, who scored at both ends in the 5-1 win against Switzerland. Jorge Vilda looks set to stick with his changes after the 5-1 win, which could mean Alexia Putellas again starts on the bench for Spain. The Netherlands will be without key midfielder Danielle van de Donk, who picked up her second yellow card of the tournament against South Africa and is therefore suspended from the quarter-final. How did both teams reach the quarter-finals? Spain (runners-up Group C) 3-0 vs Costa Rica 5-0 vs Zambia 0-4 vs Japan 5-1 vs Switzerland Netherlands (Winners Group E) 1-0 vs Portugal 1-1 vs United States 7-0 vs Vietnam 2-0 vs South Africa Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest England news ahead of quarter-finals England learn Women’s World Cup quarter-final opponents Who and when do England play next? Route to the World Cup final

Robert Helenius puts it bluntly: “In Finland, if I would be caught, I would be lynched for my whole life.” The 39-year-old Finn is the biggest – perhaps only – beneficiary in this week’s saga, which has seen Dillian Whyte return an ‘adverse finding’ in a drug test, causing him to be pulled from his main event with Anthony Joshua. Helenius, on seven days’ notice, will now fight Joshua at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, but he is still damning of a situation that has handed him one of the biggest bouts of his career. “Of course it’s a problem, because I don’t think everybody’s on the same level,” he tells reporters on Wednesday. “I think some boxers have some privileges that others don’t. I think anti-doping should be the same in every country. For example, in your country, when Dillian gets caught, nobody cares. I would get a two-year minimum [ban], or I would never get a licence again.” Prior to last week, Whyte had twice dealt with doping-related dramas. The Briton, 35, served a two-year ban from 2012 to 2014 and was cleared of wrongdoing in a separate episode in 2019. He will again be investigated following last week’s failed test, but no matter the outcome, eyebrows have been raised. Helenius also references Tyson Fury and Alexander Povetkin as high-profile heavyweights to have tested positive for a banned substance before returning to the sport, with both men boxing on the biggest stage thereafter. “How is this possible?” Helenius asks, incredulously. “Either they should legalise everything for everybody, or have the same standard for everybody. “Of course it feels like I’m at a disadvantage, because I don’t have that luxury of doing that stuff – because they come to my home to do my blood tests and everything, all the time. It’s not fair, but who said that life should be fair? “My doping is: I have a really high level of Viking blood in me!” Joshua remains calmer on the topic – stunningly so, given how this week has affected him, and considering that he was burnt by a short-notice fight with Andy Ruiz in June 2019, after his original opponent Jarrell Miller tested positive for multiple banned substances. “It happens in boxing,” Joshua says. “It’s not the first time it’s happened. [It’s happening more], so I wasn’t so surprised to be honest.” Joshua, 33, also plays down suggestions that he might be ‘disgusted’ with Whyte, or even just ‘angry’. Remarkably, the Briton is generous enough to give some fighters the benefit of the doubt. “I hope it’s a mistake [with Whyte], but that’s why I have to invest in these tests, etc, and now I ask the team: ‘Can they get Helenius tested as well?’ It’s important to make sure we’re on top of these things. I actually don’t know what Dillian was caught with, I don’t know what was in his system. “I don’t wish Dillian any bad. His reputation is tarnished, it’s not good for him. It’s not ‘disgusting’ [to me], but... Boxing’s not an institution where you join a club and everything’s presented to you. These guys go to local gyms, they’re probably around people who are doing dodgy stuff. I don’t know what it is, but you have to be very, very responsible. Boxing’s so tough; your body hurts, you’re tired, you’re trying to look for small advantages, and you’ve got some guy at the gym who’s always got energy, lifts more than you, trains harder than you, and he’s like: ‘This is what I take, take this.’ If you don’t do your research, it can lead to a positive drug test. “I’ve been drug tested since 2011, then I started [pushing for] drug testing for my opponents around 2017. Who knows [if Whyte was doping when Joshua faced him in 2015]? I won, that’s the main thing! They must be doing it without knowing, because I think the money is better than a ban. Why would you go through a whole training camp to dope at the end and get banned? I just think they’re not careful.” Joshua’s reaction is especially commendable when one considers that Whyte and Miller both accused “AJ” of doping, despite a lack of evidence. “You've got to question the person who’s accusing people, sometimes!” Joshua says. “It’s funny, those two actually popped dirty themselves. It’s probably because of my physique maybe, or my rise in boxing, it just didn’t make sense to them because they’re probably working hard. Sometimes it’s just natural – God gifted, and a lot of hard work as well.” Joshua, who claims it’s “not morally right” to fight someone who is using a banned substance, also expresses frustration at a lack of consistency – not in punishment, per Helenius’s point, but in testing. “I get drug tested all year round,” he says. “Every quarter I have to submit my whereabouts, where I’m gonna be for one hour in a day, so they can turn up randomly if they want. It’s been like that since 2011, I’ve just submitted it every day of my life. Why am I under that pressure but other boxers aren’t? Once you sign up to a promoter, they should all have that under their organisation.” Derek Chisora, a friend of Joshua’s, suggested at Wednesday’s press conference that Whyte might not be to blame but rather his team. Joshua’s response? “I can understand where Chisora is coming from, because I get a plate of food presented to me, I don’t cook. Who’s giving [Whyte] this stuff? But I know what I’m taking, whoever’s giving it to me. It should be easy enough to know... “If I was to get caught on drugs, I’d be like: ‘Ah, f***; it’s probably this, this, this or this. These are the four supplements I’m taking.’ He doesn’t know what he’s taken or where it’s come from, he’s shocked. I know who gave me these bottles of water when I came in, who gives me my food, my supplements. It’s easy to track what’s going on in your life.” Joshua again differs in opinion from Helenius, to a degree, as he says: “I don’t think we need longer bans, I think we need to get it at the root. It’s backwards, boxing. You’ve got someone that’s come out of the Olympics, with potential to be a champion, who’s training in someone’s backyard swimming pool! If that’s me, who’s got potential, then you’ve got a kid coming out of nowhere and training in his local gym... he can easily be led down the wrong path. “There’s no support, no guidance. That’s why I always say: There’s the fight in the ring and the fight outside the ring, which is even harder. You need to get your s*** right outside; Dillian didn’t have his s*** right outside, and he can’t get in the ring.” Read More It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted Joshua vs Helenius live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend ‘He’ll finish you with a sledgehammer’: What it’s really like to get punched by Anthony Joshua Anthony Joshua did not want to let people down in accepting opponent change Wozniacki returns to tennis and new Man Utd threads – Tuesday’s sporting social Who is fighting on the Joshua vs Helenius undercard this weekend?