Conor Benn insists he is a clean athlete as he vowed to clear his name following a failed drugs test.
Saturday night’s huge contest against Chris Eubank Jr was officially postponed earlier on Thursday after a dramatic 48 hours in British boxing.
Benn was due to face Eubank Jr at a 157-pound catchweight at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night in a lucrative, high-profile main event that would have seen both fighters earn a seven-figure fee as they continued the epic rivalry shared by their respective fathers - Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr - back in the 1990s.
However, those plans were thrown into turmoil on Wednesday when reports claimed that Benn had returned an adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of the substance clomifene - a female fertility drug that can boost testosterone levels in men and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) - following a sample taken by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on September 23.
Benn protested his innocence at an open workout later in the day and promoters Matchroom and Wasserman insisted the bout was still set to go ahead with the backing of both fighters despite being prohibited by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC), with Benn having passed all other tests including those performed by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD), the body used by the BBBoC.
They sought an injunction in the High Court to have the BBBoC’s decision overturned after Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn ruled out using a foreign governing body to sanction the bout. That hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon but, amid worries the ruling might not come until late on Friday, the decision was made to postpone the fight.
“After discussions with various parties, we have taken the decision to formally postpone the bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn,” said a joint statement from Matchroom and Wasserman on Thursday. “It is undeniable that the British Boxing Board of Control’s decision to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and without due process. That remains a legal issue between the promoters and the board which we intend to pursue.
“However, whilst there are legal routes to facilitate the fight taking place as planned, we do not believe that it is in the fighters’ interests for those to be pursued at such a late stage, or in the wider interests of the sport. As promoters, we take our obligations and duties very seriously, and a full investigation will now need to take place. We will be making no further comment at this time and news for ticket holder refunds will follow.”
Matchroom Chief Hearn - who promotes Benn - and Eubank Jr’s promoter Kalle Sauerland later addressed the media in a short press conference that saw no questions permitted, with Hearn insisting that Benn was not suspended by the BBBoC and complaining that he had not been given the same due process previously afforded to other fighters in similar situations.
— Conor Nigel Benn (@ConorNigel) October 6, 2022
A shocked Benn, meanwhile, apologised for the postponement but vowed to clear his name as he reiterated his insistence that he is a clean athlete.
” I am truly gutted we were unable to make this fight happen on Saturday and I am sorry to everybody who has been affected by this postponement,” he said in a statement.
“I am still completely shocked and surprised by this, and it has been a tough couple of days.
“My team and I will consider the next options including rescheduling the fight, but my immediate focus is on clearing my name because I am a clean athlete!”
On Wednesday, Benn said: “I’ve not committed any violations, I’ve not been suspended so as far as I’m concerned the fight’s still going ahead.”
He added: “I’ve signed up to every voluntary anti-doping testing there is under the sun. All my UKAD tests have come back negative throughout my career. I’ve never had any issues before.”
