onor Benn insists he’s a clear athlete as he vowed to clear his title following a failed medicine take a look at.
Saturday evening’s big contest in opposition to Chris Eubank Jr was formally postponed earlier on Thursday after a dramatic 48 hours in British boxing.
Benn was as a consequence of face Eubank Jr at a 157-pound catchweight at London’s O2 Area on Saturday evening in a profitable, high-profile principal occasion that may have seen each fighters earn a seven-figure price as they continued the epic rivalry shared by their respective fathers – Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr – again within the Nineties.
Nonetheless, these plans have been thrown into turmoil on Wednesday when experiences claimed that Benn had returned an adversarial analytical discovering for hint quantities of the substance clomifene – a feminine fertility drug that may enhance testosterone ranges in males and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) – following a pattern taken by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Affiliation (VADA) on September 23.
Benn protested his innocence at an open exercise later within the day and promoters Matchroom and Wasserman insisted the bout was nonetheless set to go forward with the backing of each fighters regardless of being prohibited by the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBoC), with Benn having handed all different checks together with these carried out by the UK Anti-Doping Company (UKAD), the physique utilized by the BBBoC.
Conor Benn has protested his innocence after failing a medicine take a look at
/ Mark Robinson Matchroom BoxingThey sought an injunction within the Excessive Court docket to have the BBBoC’s resolution overturned after Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn dominated out utilizing a international governing physique to sanction the bout. That listening to was scheduled for Thursday afternoon however, amid worries the ruling may not come till late on Friday, the choice was made to postpone the struggle.
“After discussions with varied events, we’ve got taken the choice to formally postpone the bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn,” mentioned a joint assertion from Matchroom and Wasserman on Thursday. “It’s plain that the British Boxing Board of Management’s resolution to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and with out due course of. That continues to be a authorized problem between the promoters and the board which we intend to pursue.
“Nonetheless, while there are authorized routes to facilitate the struggle happening as deliberate, we don’t imagine that it’s within the fighters’ pursuits for these to be pursued at such a late stage, or within the wider pursuits of the game. As promoters, we take our obligations and duties very severely, and a full investigation will now have to happen. We will likely be making no additional remark presently and information for ticket holder refunds will comply with.”
Matchroom Chief Hearn – who promotes Benn – and Eubank Jr’s promoter Kalle Sauerland later addressed the media in a brief press convention that noticed no questions permitted, with Hearn insisting that Benn was not suspended by the BBBoC and complaining that he had not been given the identical due course of beforehand afforded to different fighters in comparable conditions.
A shocked Benn, in the meantime, apologised for the postponement however vowed to clear his title as he reiterated his insistence that he’s a clear athlete.
” I’m really gutted we have been unable to make this struggle occur on Saturday and I’m sorry to all people who has been affected by this postponement,” he mentioned in a press release.
“I’m nonetheless utterly shocked and shocked by this, and it has been a tricky couple of days.
“My workforce and I’ll take into account the subsequent choices together with rescheduling the struggle, however my rapid focus is on clearing my title as a result of I’m a clear athlete!”
On Wednesday, Benn mentioned: “I’ve not dedicated any violations, I’ve not been suspended so so far as I’m involved the struggle’s nonetheless going forward.”
He added: “I’ve signed as much as each voluntary anti-doping testing there’s underneath the solar. All my UKAD checks have come again adverse all through my profession. I’ve by no means had any points earlier than.”
