Boxing fans fume as Jarrell Miller is given ‘pathetic’ six-month ban for doping THREE times ahead of Anthony Joshua fight
FANS are outraged after Jarrell Miller was handed a six-month suspension for taking three different banned substances before his fight with Anthony Joshua.
Miller, 30, will not fight Joshua on June 1 with The New York State Athletic Commission denying the Brooklyn-based heavyweight a boxing licence.
Traces of outlawed GW1516, human growth hormone and EPO were found in his system from tests carried out in March and Joshua was left in limbo with just a month to go.
According to , the WBA have told Big Baby he will also be withdrawn from their rankings and he will now have to pay for his registration with the anti-doping agency VADA out of his own pocket.
Miller’s co-promoter Greg Cohen believes the WBA’s actions are “fair”.
He pointed out that the length of this suspension is in line with past offenders, most recently Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders, who have failed drug tests before middleweight title fights in the last year.
However, in other top sports such as athletics and cycling, there would be a four-year ban for cheating of this nature.
Fans have been outraged with the response on Twitter, calling boxing authorities a "joke" and labelling the situation "laughable."
Cohen added: "It's appropriate, and we just look forward to moving on to bigger and better things in the future.
"I don't think he has a choice. Certainly by way of this resolution, he's required to, and I'm sure Jarrell will be compliant with the resolution."
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Cohen promised that Miller will not be looking for a loophole by applying for a boxing licence away from New York and will wait it out until his suspension is finished.
He said: "With this suspension, he can't even apply [for a boxing licence] ‘til after the Sept. 19 deadline.
"So we'll come across that bridge when we come to it."
