TYSON Fury believes that doping is a serious problem in boxing and says that legalising drugs may be the most effective way forward.
The Manchester-born boxer faces champion Wladimir Klitschko for the world heavyweight title in Dusseldorf on Saturday.
Speaking during an interview on BBC Radio 5 live, he said: "Boxing has got a big problem with drugs. But it doesn't bother me because at the end of the day it's about determination over drugs."
Fury believes that by legalising the use of drugs in the sport, it would create a level playing field.
I've just been told recently that capping things and keeping things in a box isn't the way to go forward.
“The old-fashioned ways ain't the ways so I'm all open for drugs because if we want to go forward in life and be in a democratic world, as they say, then I think being in a democratic world means that we have to be open to different things. Does it or does it not?
"Why don't they just make drugs totally legal in sports, then everybody would be taking drugs and it would be fully fair wouldn't it?"
He admitted, however, that substance misuse would have detrimental effects on the individual’s long-term health.
“If a man wants to pump himself full of drugs it's only shortening his life isn't it?
"You're on a one-way ticket to a heart attack, that's why you see a lot of these body builders and weightlifters have heart attacks young because they're pumped up so much and the heart can't take the pressure."
The British Boxing Board of Control said it remains committed in its fight against drug use in professional boxing.
In a statement it said that has “an extensive program of out of competition testing and in competition testing, and will maintain its endeavours to combat drug use in association with United Kingdom Anti-Doping, who carry out all testing procedures and disciplinary hearings in compliance with the WADA code."
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