‘Adverse finding’ prebout
NEW YORK: American Jarrell Miller says he never knowingly took a banned substance and will appeal a decision to revoke his licence over an adverse finding from a doping test ahead of his heavyweight title fight with Britain’s Anthony Joshua.
Miller, who was due to fight WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world champion Joshua on June 1 in New York, wrote on his Instagram account he was devastated upon hearing his boxing license was revoked in New York State.
‘‘I have NEVER knowingly taken any banned substance and when I found out the news last night I was totally shocked,’’ Miller said on Instagram.
‘‘My team and I stand for integrity, decency & honesty and together we will stand to fight this with everything we have!’’
Miller (30) returned an ‘‘adverse finding’’ in a voluntary drug test ahead of his world heavyweight title fight with Joshua, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said on Thursday.
Hearn, who promotes Joshua, said he had been informed of Miller’s positive test by the Voluntary AntiDoping Association (VADA), which works with athletes in boxing and mixed martial arts.
‘‘We have been informed by VADA that there has been an adverse finding in Jarrell Miller’s sample collected on March 20th, 2019,’’ Hearn said on his Twitter account.
Miller’s camp has requested a B sample be tested, the BBC reported, and if that sample comes back negative Miller can apply for a licence again.
ESPN reported Miller had tested positive for the banned substance GW1516, which boosts endurance and helps athletes burn fat, citing three sources familiar with the matter. — Reuters