Conor Benn speaks out after adverse findings
Undefeated Conor Benn (21-0, 14KO) returned an adverse finding for the banned substance clomifene ahead of his catchweight showdown against Chris Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23KO) on October 8th at London's O2 Arena.
The blockbuster fight was immediately put in jeopardy when the BBBofC released their statement to say the Benn-Eubank fight was prohibited, even after Wasserman and Matchroom Boxing announced it was still going ahead.
During today's media workout, Conor Benn defended himself, "I've not committed any violations, I've not been suspended, so as far as I'm concerned the fight is still going ahead."
The 26-year-old continued, "I've signed up to every voluntary anti-doping test under the sun, throughout my whole career I'm tested, I've always come back negative, I've never had any issues before. My team will find out why there has been an initial adverse finding in my test, but as far as I'm concerned the fight is going ahead.
"I'm a clean athlete and we'll get to the bottom of this."
Benn also claimed he has spoken directly to Eubank Jr. "We both want the fight to go ahead, we've both taken medical and legal advice and we both want the fight to happen for the fans," he insisted.
"He fully believes, he believes in me, and it's not who I am, or what I'm about. I'm a pro athlete and he was understanding. We both want the fight to go ahead."
Eubank Jr denies the pair have spoken, however.
"There was no phone call," he said at the workout. "We haven't spoken. No phone call. We haven't spoken since this has been announced, and it's a shame you know.
"But my promoters, his promoters, the BBBofC they are going to sort this out.
"I am ready, I'm clean, I've been tested my entire career. I've been tested more than I've ever been tested for a fight in this training camp.
"I've prepared, I've done my job, it's now in the hands of the promoters, the governing bodies, to make this fight happen. All I can do is be ready.
"Of course there are concerns, but listen, I can't really say too much. I just can't. I am ready, I am a clean fighter, I have cut the weight, I'm ready to go. This is all unfolding."
British Boxing Board of Control Statement
"On the evening of 4th October 2022, the Board of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited resolved that the contest between Chris Eubank Jnr. and Conor Benn scheduled to take place on 8th October 2022 is prohibited as it is not in the interests of Boxing. That was communicated to the Boxers and Promoters involved on the morning of 5th October 2022."
Read more…Matchroom Boxing's CEO Eddie Hearn also gave interviews during today's workouts, "We've just seen the British Boxing Board of Control's statement, which is pretty straightforward, and it's with the lawyers, going backwards and forwards right now.
"Both guys signed up to a multitude of testing for this fight. The UKAD testing, which is the testing agency that the BBBofC used and are governed by, have all been clear and negative, and there was an adverse finding on a VADA test previously, so there's not been an official doping violation.
"There's a process that has to be gone through, Conor Benn is not suspended. He can't be because he's passed all the tests from UKAD, but clearly the British Boxing Board of Control will take a position on it, we'll deal with the lawyers. Both camps have been made aware of course.
"Both camps prepared to progress with the fight, but ultimately the conversations have to be had with the lawyers and the teams, and British Board of Control.
"The ongoing process now with the investigation, it's a difficult situation for the Board because the Board do not acknowledge VADA testing. You remember when Billy Joe Saunders tested positive for VADA? He was banned by the Massachussets Commission, the Board did not suspend him or ban him because they don't acknowledge VADA.
"They only acknowledge UKAD, of which Conor Benn has had multiple testing for this fight and it's all been negative, so there's a lot to digest and go through, and right now, obviously, the legal teams are speaking to the Board, they have to be comfortable as well to obviously sanction the fight and we'll see how it unfolds.
"It's a difficult time for everyone, for Chris Eubank, we've put a lot of work into this show and we'll see what happens from here. Eubank-Benn is the fight, ultimately, and if that fight doesn't take place then nor will the show.
"But we have see where we go from here because if the Board aren't suspending Conor Benn, and they won't suspend Conor Benn, they don't have the right to under their jurisdiction with the tests that he's been passing with UKAD."
Kalle Sauerland, who promotes eubank Jr., told TalkSport earlier that day, "I can tell you that there has been a trace finding of a female fertility drug in a voluntary testing scheme, which is in addition to the UKAD testing scheme (the British Board testing scheme), so two seperate schemes.
"At the end of August / beginning of September, there was a test taken from Benn, in which there was a female fertility drug [detected], and that was unrelayed to us when the tests came back. The British Board follows UKAD, and the UKAD tests were presented to us as all negative, so that's a postion that, let's say, from a legal, from a licensing point of view that we have received.
"We took medical advice, it's a non-PED, but at the same time it can raise the testosterone levels, the experts that we consulted couldn't see that it was giving an advantage, so on the basis of that, we discusses straightaway with the most important person from our side, and that's the athlete, and he was happy to continue.
"He spoke to Benn as well, directly. there was a direct discussion between the two. I wasn't part of that discussion, but at the same time it seemed to be a personal matter from Conor Benn, I can't comment more than that. At the same time, we have to focus on the show on Saturday and we can't be distracted by anything.
"I'm not a legal expert on this, I'm not a medical expert that's why we sought [advice]. It's a substance that's on the list. You've got substances which cause automatic suspensions, there's substances that you can declare. It wasn't declared; was that a mistake? Absolutely. But, once again, I'm not on the Benn side of things."
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