Boxing: Joseph Parker says he went 'too far' with Anthony Joshua steroids comment

Joseph Parker with promoter David Higgins. Photo / Photosport

Joseph Parker has backtracked on his claims that Anthony Joshua might be using performance enhancing drugs.

Parker yesterday suggested Joshua might be a steroid user, calling his heavyweight rival "the king of steroids", but today admitted he 'went too far' with the comment.

A fan, Mike Chalklen, posted on his Facebook page: "I'm a huge fan of yours Joe and one of the things I admire about you is the fact that you are really humble and don't buy in to too much trash talk. I was pretty disappointed to see you pull the old "he's the king of steroids" card and saying that "no one's that big naturally".

Parker replied: "Bit too far with that one. Shouldn't have said it. Will fix that up at some stage. Thanks bro."

Earlier Duco Boss Higgins said he didn't think Joshua does steroids and advised Parker to stay away from such claims.

"It wasn't my idea and that just came across my desk. But some people say that," Higgins told Martin Devlin on Radio Sport.

"I don't think Anthony Joshua does steroids. I think he trains very hard to the point of boring. I don't know why [Parker said it].

"The advice from myself will be to drop it and stick to the things we know."

Parker, whose title unification fight against Joshua has been confirmed for April 1 (NZ time) in Cardiff, told the Radio Sport Breakast show that being called the king of pies by the Joshua camp didn't worry him.

''They call me the king of pies but I call him the king of steroids. Who knows, if you are that big and that musclelly there's something wrong.

''I have heard word; I have looked at him and I have seen. He has been very close with Klitschko ... he has been a reigning champion for a long time.

"So I don't know ... it may be true maybe not."

The fight was confirmed overnight by Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, who tweeted it would take place at Principality Stadium, a venue more famous for rugby internationals.