CONOR BENN’s fight with Chris Eubank Jr has now been officially called off by the British Boxing Board of Control after a failed drug test.
But promoter Eddie Hearn promised to challenge the decision with pending legal talks after Benn’s failed drug test.
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Saturday’s ancient fight has been canceled by the board after Benn found traces of a female fertility drug in his system.
The BBBoC intervened and stated that the scrap is banned under their sanctions, despite BOTH fighters wanting to continue the fight.
A BBBoC statement read: “On the evening of October 4, 2022, the Board of Directors of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited decided that the match between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, which was to take place on October 8, 2022, is banned because It’s not for the sake of boxing.”
The BBC has also changed Wednesday’s TV schedule and will not air the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn ‘Born Rivals’ documentary on BBC One.
It came out just two days before the weigh-in Benn had failed a pre-fight drug test, which SunSport understands was administered on Sept. 23.
He returned a negative finding for clomiphene, which is often used as a drug to treat infertility in women who are not ovulating.
But it can also increase testosterone levels in men, which is why it’s on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.
SunSport also understands that there could be an issue with a second test that VADA undertook as part of the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program, but Matchroom’s promoters declined to comment.
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Both Benn’s promoter Hearn and Eubank Jr‘s in Kalle Sauerland said the battle continues.
But now the BBBoC has intervened, meaning the battle under their ruling cannot continue.
Although Benn broke his silence to protest his innocence and claim that the fight is still going on.
He said, “I have committed no transgressions. I haven’t been suspended, so as far as I’m concerned, the fight is still going on.
“I’ve spoken to Chris personally and we both want the fight to go on.
“We have both taken medical and legal advice and as I said, we want the fight to continue for the fans.
“I signed up for every voluntary anti-doping test out there.
“I’ve been tested all my career. All my UKAD tests have come back negative throughout my career.
“I’ve never had any problems. Even leading up to this fight, my test was negative.
“So my team will find out why there was a first negative finding in my test.
“But like I said, the fight still goes on. I’m a clean athlete and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
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Benn’s claims about a conversation with his rival have been shot down by Eubank Jr himself.
He told Matchroom Boxing: “There was no phone call. We haven’t spoken to each other since this was announced.
“It’s a shame. But my promoters, his promoters, the boxing board, they’re going to sort it out.
“I’m ready, I’m clean, I’m 60 percent. I’ve been tested my entire career for the past 10 years. I’ve been tested more than I’ve ever been tested for a fight in this training camp.
“I have an app on my phone where I have to indicate where I will be every day and I’ve been using that app my entire career and I’ll be on it for the rest of my career.
“They can come and test me for blood and urine when they see fit and I’ve never failed a test. I’ve even been tested on holiday.
“I don’t approve of failed tests.”
It’s with the lawyers going back and forth now
Eddie Hearn
Hearn also spoke out in response to the board’s statements, revealing there are ongoing discussions with lawyers.
He said: “We have just seen the statement from the British Boxing Board of Control, which is quite simple.
“It is with the lawyers going back and forth now. Both guys signed up for a lot of tests for this fight.
“The UKAD tests, which are clearly the testing agency the British Boxing Board of Control uses and who is run by, are all clear and negative.
“There was previously a negative finding on a VADA test. So there has been no official doping violation, there is a process to go through.”
Hearn said Benn has passed tests conducted by UK Anti-Doping, meaning he will not be suspended by the BBBoC.
He said: “Conor Benn has not been suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control, in the end he can’t be because he passed all of the UKAD’s tests.
“But it is clear that the British Boxing Board of Control will take a position on it, we will deal with the lawyers.”
According to ESPNHearn tries to get a court order to keep the fight going.
The ever-optimistic Hearn — who desperately needs pay-per-view success for the struggling sports streaming app DAZN — seems sure to overwhelm the board, in the courts if he has to.
And he could use the boxing board of another country, such as Malta or Luxembourg, to continue the fight, but he would also receive a brutal response.
The 157-pound catchweight clash was set to take place nearly 30 years after their fathers’ famous rematch, which ended in a draw.
Eubank had won the brutal original contest three years earlier.
It sparked a next-generation fight for their sons, three decades later, set to deposit the duo around £3.5 million.
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