Conor Benn’s ranking reinstated as drug testing issue resolved

Conor Benn’s ranking will be reinstated as drug testing issue is resolved

Conor Benn’s ranking will be reinstated as drug testing issue is resolved

Benn was removed from the WBC welterweight rankings after failing to enrol in the VADA programme, but his promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed he will be registered shortly

Conor Benn will be back in the WBC welterweight rankings in the coming days after a paperwork issue saw him fail to register for their drug-testing programme.

Benn, one of three Brits to be removed after missing out on registering for the governing body's 'Clean Boxing Programme', simply failed to fill out the requisite paperwork to be enrolled in the VADA testing pool.

His promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed to Mirror Fighting that he is one of many fighters who has yet to fill out forms, and says he is tested regularly by UKAD.

"It's just that he missed out on some paperwork," Hearn said at a press conference for Michael Conlan vs Leigh Wood in Belfast today.

"There are a dozen fighters who haven't filled out the form, it's generally sent to a manager or trainer, sometimes it doesn't even get to the fighter.

"We spoke to them last night, they're going to fill out the forms today and they'll be back in.

"He's on full UKAD 365-day-a-year random testing which is 20 times more stringent than the WBC programme, which is still good for boxing."

Benn, along with No.7 ranked cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith and No.9 ranked bantamweight Lee McGregor, were all removed from the WBC rankings on Wednesday.

Josh Warrington's rival Mauricio Lara, ranked No.4 at featherweight, was also removed, along with Mario Barrios who is No.10 at super lightweight.

"WBC Clean Boxing Program administered by VADA, has reported to the WBC ratings committee that after multiple attempts to enroll a variety of fighters and after the grace period has lapsed for registration," a statement read.

"Consequently the following fighters have been taken out of The WBC rankings. They will have the opportunity to enroll in the program and be considered by the ratings committee."

Benn is expected to return to the ring in April, with Hearn saying that a fight with Adrien Broner is now all but abandoned.

"He's now become such a big draw in the UK that I'd like him to headline his own show," Hearn continued.

"Broner is still available but he'd like a warm-up fight first and I don't think that is a route we want to go down."

Benn improved to 20-0 in December of last year when he brutally knocked out former world champion Chris Algieri in front of a packed crowd in Liverpool.

Algieri, who had gone the distance with Manny Pacquiao during his effort to become a two-weight champion back in 2014, had only been stopped once prior in his career.

The American was dropped in the second before being stopped in the fourth by Benn with a vicious right hand.

The viral knockout has catapulted Benn into a very favourable position as a welterweight, and he is now eyeing up bouts with the likes of Robert Guerrero and Shawn Porter.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxin...-news-26003858

Benn and his team believe potential contamination is to blame for the two positive tests, with the 26-year-old writing on Instagram on Monday: "Been through hell and back.

"Thank God for science. The evidence doesn't lie. No holes in the truth."

It didn't take long for Eubank Jr to respond to Benn's post, which he mocked as he shared it to his own Instagram page.

Next Gen wrote: "I’m pretty sure it was science that detected the illegal substances in your system on two separate occasions Conor.

"So yes absolutely thank god for science… otherwise I would of been fighting the hulk a few months ago!!"

Benn's protestations of his innocence have been supported by the fact he returned two negative tests.

The Destroyer has yet to be sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control or the World Boxing Council for his pair of failed tests - which were conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency.

But he's sent over a whopping 270-page report to the WBC which he hopes will clear his name and shine a light on an alleged contamination of his sample by VADA.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has remained steadfast in his support of Benn, who he believes will be back in the ring "sooner" than expected.

He told iD Boxing: "I can’t wait because I think a lot of people will be surprised by what’s about to come out about Conor Benn.

"I think he’s going to be fighting sooner than you think.

"If he does receive a ban, which from the information that we have, I don’t think it’s necessarily it’s fair.

"But if it is, I don’t think it’s going to be a long ban at all.

“I don’t want to be too cocksure, but I think it’s going to be really interesting about what comes out here.

“I think there’s a very good chance that he won’t be receiving a ban."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21071...est-eubank-jr/

Apparently it was down to eating too many eggs! :rolleyes:

conor benedict

wasn't conor saying he was a vegan last year?

Absolute horseshat. This sport has run out of feet to shoot itself in and own eyes to blacken. Sulaiman might as well be some front man for a crime syndicate.

https://media.tenor.com/3MuR9jIBtXEA...hing-emoji.gif

This Sport

Is this the Hen that caused Benn to be a killer in the ring in the last two years then ?

https://media.gettyimages.com/id/916...7foLRCjcWwHhQ=

I would not want to be hit by a left hook from a chicken.

You literally need to catch a boxer with the needle/IV still attached to him to make the charges stick these days. Even then they’d probably say “I tripped” and get away with it

Robert Smith from the BBofBC sounded like he was taking a tough stance in his interview with Simon Jordan. In reality, like the WBC he's just going to fold over and clear him to fight.

Now we'll get Matchroom demanding an apology from everyone. Benn will do his IFL interview "It was vendetta, a witch hunt Kuugs"

No one believes that clomid was in his system from eating eggs. The man failed and was found with the shxt in his system on TWO DIFFERENT occasions, and suddenly there's no conclusive evidence ? Would the WBC and VADA would accept the eggs explanation from a fighter with a lower profile or commercial appeal than Benn ?

Happen. Not. Gonna

In most sports, if you test positive for a banned substance, it is on you as an athlete to prove that you ingested it unknowingly. Boxing has flipped it - now, corrupt organizations give athletes free passes by not proving that they ingested it knowingly. Big difference.

Comeback opponent for Conor Hen (Sorry) Benn ? Sam Eggington ? (no more egg jokes) Faded non puncher with a name. Just how Eddie likes em

https://i.imgur.com/zNgz2ze.gif

CONOR BENN'S claims that a "high consumption of eggs" led to his failed drugs tests have been accepted by the WBC - but he can still only fight outside of the UK.

British boxing was thrown into chaos just days before Benn's grudge fight against Chris Eubank Jr in October when news of the adverse findings broke.

Despite legal teams on both sides throwing everything at it, the fight, and the entire promotion, was scrapped.

Benn vehemently protested his innocence, and although he was never BANNED from boxing, UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control opened an investigation.

Benn subsequently ripped up his British boxing licence over the escalating doping row.

The WBC removed Benn from their rankings after traces of the banned substance Clomiphene was discovered in VADA urine samples.

Clomiphene is sometimes used to increase egg production in hens.

It can then be passed on to humans on digestion.

Benn submitted a 270-page document to the WBC protesting his innocence in December, highlighting that he passed a pair of UKAD tests taken around the same time.

And the organisation have now re-instated the 26-year-old after he appealed, and published a lengthy statement explaining their decision.

It reads: "The WBC found that: (1) there was no conclusive evidence that Mr Benn engaged in intentional or knowing ingestion of Clomiphene.

"(2) there were no failures in the procedures related to sample collection, sample analysis, or violations of Mr Benn’s B Sample rights that would justify questioning or invalidating the Adverse Finding.

"And (3) Mr Benn’s documented and highly-elevated consumption of eggs during the times relevant to the sample collection, raised a reasonable explanation for the Adverse Finding."

Benn, son of the legendary former world champ Nigel, is still under investigation by UKAD and the BBBofC, meaning he can still not fight on these shores.

But the WBC's move means he could lace up the gloves to fight in another country.

Speaking to SunSport previously, Benn admitted to eating "around 35-40 eggs a week" and believes this, or "contamination" is the only answer to the failed tests.

He explained: “The test was taken at the end of July, and I found out at the end of August.

“I passed all my UKAD tests, which people aren’t talking about. I’ve passed all my tests in and out of camp - I’ve been pro seven years. Never failed a test.

“I signed up to VADA in February, so it doesn’t make any sense. Why would I take something then?

"Trace amounts were found. The tiniest of traces. The only thing I can think is contamination.

“I’ve not taken anything. I never have done, never would. It’s not what I stand for, it’s not what my team stands for.

"Why would I take the biggest fight of my life, sign up for to VADA, voluntary anti-doping, and then this substance? If you Google this substance it stays in your system for months.

"Do I look like an idiot?"

The BBBofC have since released their own statement, keen to point out that the WBC is "a sanctioning body and not a governing body".

They add: "The BBBoC has adopted the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti-Doping, and those formed part of the rules to which Mr Benn was bound.

"As such, the decision of the WBC does not affect the ongoing implementation of the BBBoC’s rules (and those of UKAD).

"The UK Anti-Doping Rules make clear what conduct constitutes an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as defined in those rules (and in the World Anti-Doping Code) and specifically set out the circumstances in which such violations can be committed by way of strict liability."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21480...test-eggs-wbc/

Conor Benn has responded after being mocked by Domino’s Pizza on social media in the wake of his drugs tests ruling from the WBC.

The 26-year-old twice registered positive for the banned substance clomifene in VADA drugs tests last year, causing his planned bout with Chris Eubank Jr in October to be cancelled.

On Wednesday, the WBC announced that they will be reinstating Benn into their welterweight world rankings.

They stated in their ruling that they could find “no conclusive evidence” to confirm he intentionally or knowingly ingested clomifene.

The WBC accepted Benn’s “highly-elevated consumption of eggs” as a “reasonable explanation” for his positive tests.

This outcome has raised eyebrows across the boxing world.

There is still a separate investigation ongoing from the BBBofC (British Boxing Board of Control) and UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) which could yet see Benn receive a ban.

As things stand though, this remains unresolved and so Benn is free to fight, albeit not in the UK on a BBBofC-sanctioned card.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FpllB_bX...g&name=900x900

There was plenty of reaction on social media on Wednesday, with Benn’s name being one of the top trends in the UK for several hours.

Upon seeing this, multiple brands sent tweets about the topic.

One of these was Domino’s Pizza.

The takeaway outlet mocked up an image off an egg-covered pizza and tweeted it with the caption: “Introducing the Conor Benn special.”

Benn did not take kindly to the mockery.

He responded by tweeting back: “I actually prefer @PizzaHut.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...bc-drugs-eggs/

Conor Benn has suggested that he has no interest in boxing Chris Eubank Jr in the future, despite the pair being scheduled to fight one another before Benn’s drug-test saga.

A user asked the welterweight in an Instagram comment, “So what’s on, is @chriseubankjr ready or is he still eating kfc[?],” referencing a joke made by Eubank Jr during his weight-cut for the Benn fight.

And Benn replied, “[He] got off lightly. I don’t want [Liam] smiths leftovers.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cbce30bb2a5c7f

Before we get too harsh on the guy, I can personally vouch for the fact that I went to a breakfast buffet with jarrell Big baby Miller in Brooklyn, and there were unlimited omelets and eggs benedict which had a very strange taste after you ate three or four eggs, kind of a metallic taste like some sort of metal or almost like a chlorine flavor and it was shortly after this that he tested positive. Even I experienced a kind of increase in strength after that breakfast buffet with all those eggs in Brooklyn, because when I was leaving the buffet, a guy spat on the sidewalk too close to my new shoes, and I knocked him out with one left hook, without even twisting my hip into the punch. Those eggs are the real deal

What's the point of drug testing anymore?

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Originally Posted by Big J

What's the point of drug testing anymore?

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The real point is we have to test the eggs and the steak from Guadalajara

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Originally Posted by NoSavingByTheBell

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Originally Posted by Big J

What's the point of drug testing anymore?

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The real point is we have to test the eggs and the steak from Guadalajara

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don't forget the nasal spray

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

Absolute horseshat. This sport has run out of feet to shoot itself in and own eyes to blacken. Sulaiman might as well be some front man for a crime syndicate.

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This is eggsactly what I mean when I (boringly) bang on about hype and bullshit in pro boxing, I am eggsasperated. Master quotes the normal from Sun/Mirror, Mail today has Conor doing a love island pose and showing his tattoos, all journos responsible having been given free family and friends ringside tickets whilst we mugs pay 500 quid. To cap it all the hypemaster general Barry Herne bay, Herne it all before, Hernin on the ridiculous, thats enough hernin, hypes up Conor Eggs'r'Us before he's got a BBOC ticket, any bets on him not getting one? You could be boaring and raise previous well managed drug issues.....
Its all a bloody media game now, sad for the genuine lower level pros without hype machines taking their percentages.
PS I forgot, its eggscrutiating, and stop egging me on or I'll get worse.

ONOR BENN is reportedly set to sue British Boxing chiefs over the drama which saw his fight against Chris Eubank Jr collapse.

Benn was due to fight Eubank Jr on October 10 last year, before the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) KO'd the fight after Benn failed a drug test.

However, Benn, who vehemently protested his innocence, has now been cleared by the WBC after they accepted the cause of the failure was down to eating too many eggs.

According to the Daily Mail, a furious Benn is planning a £3.5million lawsuit against the BBBoC for the 50 per cent stake he was due from the reported £7m fight purse.

Benn told the Mail: "I’ve always been innocent and the Board have known about this for ages except they chose to call the show off two days before [it was due to take place].

"There’s been other fighters in the past who have tested positive under UKAD (UK Anti-Doping), and the board have done nothing. They’ve still been allowed to fight.

"It’s just strange to me that VADA – the Voluntary Anti-doping Organisation that I employed myself for this fight – they’ve [the BBBoC] taken notice of other fighters who have failed the Board's own testing agencies.

"It is just baffling to me. I don’t know if there’s an agenda there or if they’re out for me because my dad [Nigel Benn] ripped up his British boxing licence on TV."

Benn followed in his father's footsteps in ripping up his boxing licence as his doping row escalated.

Traces of the banned substance Clomiphene, which is sometimes used in egg production for hens, was discovered in VADA urine samples.

Benn submitted a 270-page document to the WBC protesting his innocence in December, highlighting that he passed a pair of UKAD tests taken around the same time.

The organisation have now re-instated the 26-year-old after he appealed, and published a lengthy statement explaining their decision.

They found that a "highly-elevated consumption of eggs" was a "reasonable explanation" for the findings.

Benn added: "It’s killed me [emotionally], definitely.

"It’s like people have been waiting for something. People have been waiting for this. There are people who know me, know my team, and they know what we represent. It’s all just crazy."

Despite being cleared, Benn is still unable to fight in the UK due to an ongoing investigation from UKAD and the BBBofC.

The highly-anticipated clash was set to see a new generation rematch of Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, so had a special fervour among British boxing fans.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21517...-eubank-fight/

He has proved absolutely fuck all. Just because the corrupt WBC are happy to accept this fallacy, doesn’t mean anybody has been cleared. Boxing is fucked.

Simon Jordan insists that Conor Benn needs to prove his innocence to the British Boxing Board of Control following his two positive drugs tests.

“The only route to prove it is to sit in front of the British Boxing Board of Control and to provide them with sufficient evidence to get past the strict liability obligation that he has to [in order to] be licenced by the British Boxing Board of Control.

“The WBC have no jurisdiction here. They’re a sanctioning body, they don’t have any licencing authority.

“If they’ve chosen to lower the burden of proof to suggest that eggs and a diet that he didn’t disclose last year when he was asked about his diet – he was asked about his diet, eggs weren’t a featured part of it besides the fact he has an omelette every now and again.

“If they want to suggest that burden of proof – which naturally would’ve [been] followed through on by saying, ‘Okay, where were his eggs supplied by? Which was the producer?’

“Tracing the trail like the athlete Shelby Houlihan (Olympic runner) had to do – and she was still banned by the athletics authorities in America because she had the obligation upon her.

“Strict liability is a very key phrase. The British Boxing Board of Control put out a press statement directly after the WBC allowed Conor to go back into their rankings.

“But this handling of this situation from the lawyers he’s engaged with Mike Morgan, to the manner in which they’ve engaged with the British Boxing Board of Control, to the behaviour of the promoters.

“Only Conor Benn can answer the question, only Conor Benn can respond to the allegation that his power has increased dramatically over the past two years.

“I would like to think that he wasn’t [taking banned substances].

“The problem is when you’ve got a strict liability obligation upon you, which they have…

“If you’re innocent of something, you don’t need to tie people up in legal knots. They haven’t proven their innocence.

“That [the WBC ruling] is not the burden of proof to be licenced by the British Boxing Board of Control…

“The dietary argument. I’m not suggesting that it isn’t true. What I’m suggesting is – prove it. Don’t just say it, prove it.

“Where did those eggs come from? Because clomifene doesn’t feature in eggs in this country, it only features in eggs from America. Was he buying his eggs from America?

“You should be able to trace those eggs back that he’s supposedly taken.

“Because the same way that Shelby Houlihan, the responsibility was put on her using very specific terminology – strict liability – what’s in your body, you have to be able to explain.

“You have to be able to explain it unequivocally, undeniably. You can’t just throw it up in the air and go, ‘It was eggs.’ You’ve got to be able to prove the trail.

“This girl in America got private investigators on it, to find out the burritos that she ate in a store in America were infused with nandrolone because they’d mistakenly put boar’s meat into it.

“And yet still she got a four-year ban because the obligation was upon her.

“In the WBC’s world they say, ‘Give us whatever you think is a credible explanation. Okay, eggs? Fine. We can’t prove you didn’t eat eggs so that’s fine.’

“The British Boxing Board of Control are going, ‘No, no, no, no. You’ve got to do more. And not only have you got to do more, you’ve got to come and see us.'”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ce-drug-tests/

Conor Benn has slammed the ‘serious and troubling’ testing procedures in a statement where he’s given his version of events amid his failed doping tests.

The British Boxing Board of Control prohibited his planned fight against Chris Eubank Jr from taking place after Benn twice registered positive results for the banned substance clomifene in VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) drugs tests last year.

There have been two separate investigations into the tests – one by the WBC sanctioning body and one by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC)/UKAD (UK Anti-Doping).

Benn’s representatives have co-operated with the WBC investigation by providing them with a 270-page document fighting his case.

The World Boxing Council reinstated Benn into their welterweight world rankings and revealed he will face no punishment last week.

It was ruled that there is ‘no conclusive evidence’ he intentionally or knowingly ingested clomifene and accepted Benn’s ‘highly-elevated consumption of eggs’ as a ‘reasonable explanation’ for positive tests.

In light of the decision, talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan called on the son of former middleweight champion Nigel Benn to prove his innocence to the BBBoC.

But in a lengthy statement on his social media, Benn criticised the testing procedures, claiming that he believes the banned substance was never in his system at all, while also slamming the BBBoC for treating him with ‘utter contempt’ during the process.

https://talksport.com/wp-content/upl...60&quality=100

Benn said: “The WBC have declared me innocent of being a drugs cheat. I am grateful for the ultimate finding. It was the right decision and it was the only one I was willing to accept … My only frustration is that the manner in which I’ve been cleared has seemed to create further questions and add further fuel to baseless negative speculation.

“In my defence to the WBC and the 270-page report provided to them, at no point did I indicate that I failed any VADA tests because of contaminated eggs.”

He added: “However, I feel like the WBC statement did a disservice to my defence which was based upon a comprehensive scientific review of the testing procedures, which set out a number of reasons why we believed the results were completely unreliable, and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that I am innocent.

“The report prepared by my science and legal team contained extensive analysis of both tests and concluded that there was clear evidence of fundamental flaws and irregularities.

“By way of just one example, my sample appears to have come back clear the first three times it was tested. Without explanation, it was retested again after nine days and only then did it show a trace positive result. It should only have been tested once!”

The statement added: “These critical findings were endorsed by an independent expert scientist who provides accreditation to laboratories, and his opinion was that the many issues were so troubling and serious that the lab could lose its accreditation. My team will be referring the issues to the relevant accrediting body so it can make its own determination.

“For what it’s worth, and contrary to the media speculation at the time, I requested the B samples be tested at the earliest opportunity. Because of the importance of trying to get to the bottom of what had happened I arranged for a scientist to fly across the world to attend the testing procedure in person (as you’re allowed to do under the rules) and unbelievably she was not even allowed to be in the room when the test results came through. How’s that for transparency?

“I have been advised that’s a major breach of an athlete’s rights and had it been necessary to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on this case to prove my innocence, that alone would have meant the test results were dismissed.”

Benn continued: “I am convinced the substance was never in my system and I certainly never knowingly ingested.

“I am told it’s something that supposedly stays in the body for months, and yet barely a week after failing a VADA test, I passed a UKAD test.

“I have never previously failed any kind of anti-doping test, and passed multiple tests with both UKAD and VADA in close proximity to the two tests that returned adverse findings. This adds further proof to my belief that the findings were testing errors.”

On the BBBoC, Benn said: “For those who have gave me their unwavering support I will forever be grateful. For those who said they would wait for a verdict before deciding I was guilty, I appreciate your patience.

“As for the BBBoC, they attacked me publicly and privately during the most difficult time of my life, treating me with utter contempt and without any consideration for fair process or my mental state.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...rd-of-control/

I hear Conor has now officially changed his name to Cool Hand Luke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3oMPqUTxCE

It could have been a dozen large brown or maybe speckled. The extra large brown eggs can really do the job. It looks like he had a lot of omelets and eggs benedict

Connor Henn will fight again for Hatchroom boxing ….. you heard it here first

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Originally Posted by X

Connor Henn will fight again for Hatchroom boxing ….. you heard it here first

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That's a good yolk.

Conor Benn says he has "serious concerns" about the testing system in boxing after the WBC ruled his failed drugs test was not "intentional".

Benn, 26, also criticised the conduct of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) as he tried to clear his name.

The WBC ruled "there were no failures in procedures" connected to Benn's sample but he disputed that claim.

"My sample appears to have come back clear the first [time] it was tested," Benn said in a post on social media.

"Without explanation, it was retested again after nine days and only then did it show a trace positive result."

Benn failed two voluntary drug tests for the female fertility drug clomifene before his cancelled October 2022 bout with Chris Eubank Jr.

"I have never previously failed any kind of anti-doping test, and passed multiple tests with both Ukad (UK Anti-Doping) and Vada (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) in close proximity to the two tests that returned adverse findings.

"This adds further proof to my belief that the findings were testing errors."

He added: "Everything that I have learnt during this process from talking to many experts gives me serious concerns about the whole testing system in the sport.

"Anti-doping protections are obviously extremely important, but so is ensuring people are given due process and presumed innocent until proven guilty."

The WBC said Benn's failed test could have been caused by a "highly-elevated consumption of eggs".

"At no point did I indicate that I failed any Vada tests because of contaminated eggs," said Benn.

"As part of its lengthy investigation, the WBC instructed its own experts to review my supplements and diet, and they concluded that egg contamination was the most likely cause.

"Those experts have seen this issue arise in elite athletes across other sports, and I have no reason to question their analysis when it concludes I am not a cheat."

Benn is still under investigation by Ukad and the BBBofC and is unable to fight in the United Kingdom as he does not have a boxing licence.

In terms of the BBBofC, he was critical of the governing body and accused it of attacking him and "treating me with utter contempt".

Benn added: "I wouldn't wish for my worst enemy to experience what me and my family have gone through, but next time I step into the ring I will be mentally tougher than I ever was before."

Following the WBC ruling into Benn's case, the BBBofC said it was aware of the findings and said "the WBC is a sanctioning body and not a governing body".

It added: "The decision of the WBC does not affect the ongoing implementation of the BBBofC's rules."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/64805877

“It’s hurt me, it’s hurt me this has,” Benn said in an interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV. “I didn’t think I was going to make it through this period.

“I was shamed for something I hadn’t even done, it’s hard because I felt like I was on death row for something I haven’t even done.

“If I had done something wrong I’m human, I’d raise my hands to it ‘I made a mistake’, whatever it is I raise my hands. Never this, and I felt seven years of hard work and sacrifice and leaving my family and the image I maintain was just ruined at somebody else’s incompetence. It’s been hard for the family.”

The welterweight admitted that the saga had left him with suicidal thoughts: “I didn’t think I’d see another day. Yeah [I was feeling suicidal], yeah I’d say so, and it upsets me now because I don’t know how I got so bad.

“I got in a really bad way about it. You’ve got to remember, if you think I’m innocent or if you don’t think I’m innocent, I am innocent.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...f05eb87&ei=166

Little Benn v PAC man is Saudi Arabia?... 'ow queer.

I love deviled eggs and a sucker for fat omelets. Never aware I was running the risk of becoming a bulky no-neck Minecraft character overnight :-X. And Eddies all on board with the head in the sand puppet tour? What a guy.

I had been avoiding reading about this shitshow but couldn't help myself.

The WBC really covering themselves in glory here.

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Originally Posted by Master

“It’s hurt me, it’s hurt me this has,” Benn said in an interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV. “I didn’t think I was going to make it through this period.

“I was shamed for something I hadn’t even done, it’s hard because I felt like I was on death row for something I haven’t even done.

“If I had done something wrong I’m human, I’d raise my hands to it ‘I made a mistake’, whatever it is I raise my hands. Never this, and I felt seven years of hard work and sacrifice and leaving my family and the image I maintain was just ruined at somebody else’s incompetence. It’s been hard for the family.”

The welterweight admitted that the saga had left him with suicidal thoughts: “I didn’t think I’d see another day. Yeah [I was feeling suicidal], yeah I’d say so, and it upsets me now because I don’t know how I got so bad.

“I got in a really bad way about it. You’ve got to remember, if you think I’m innocent or if you don’t think I’m innocent, I am innocent.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...f05eb87&ei=166

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I watched the interview and I’m interested what other people think. Credit to Piers Morgan , he didn’t lick his ass like he did with Cristiano Ronaldo. But he didn’t completely roast him either, which I understand.
He wouldn’t let him off the hook about why he hasn’t given his 270 page dossier to the BBBOC ? And Benn looked pretty silly regurgitating the same old shit.
Basically Benn has probably been paid a good amount of dough for this interview, but it’ll come back to bite him in the ass.
Morgan did correct Benn when he said he had been cleared, which was embarrassing for Benn.

Eddie Hearn vs Simon Jordan: Watch back heated showdown live in talkSPORT studio as pair have fiery debate over Conor Benn situation.

This is a good listen.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ull-talksport/

Simon Jordan has given a furious reaction to the latest developments from Eddie Hearn and Conor Benn.

The talkSPORT host attended Anthony Joshua’s win over Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, where the controversial welterweight contender made headlines once again.

Benn, who is refusing to co-operate with the BBBofC (British Boxing Board of Control) and UKAD (UK Anti-Doping) investigation into his positive drugs tests, was ringside for AJ’s win.

During the undercard, he refused an interview from Gareth A Davies by slapping his talkSPORT microphone away.

Jordan described Benn as a ‘raging, snarling ball of Fury’, but said on talkBOXING: “What enraged me, and it did enrage me, wasn’t the fact that Conor did that.

“Because Conor’s got this frame of mind. And to some extent I can understand why he’s got this frame of mind.

“If he feels the world’s against him, he’s gonna be angry…

“What is outrageous and preposterous is the position of his promoter.

“And I don’t want to make this an Eddie Hearn rant again because it gives him far too much credence, but there has to be something said about this.

“Because nobody has hammered Conor Benn. Everybody has sat here and suggested that they want an outcome for this boy, they want this kid to clear his name.

“And so for the promoter that should’ve had the commercial and moral responsibility to have guided this kid the right way then to have the audacity to stand in front of the media and say you’re going to take him somewhere else and fight him around the world rather than get him to meet his responsibilities – it’s a f***ing disgrace.

“It’s a disgrace. And for Eddie and his little gang to have the ability to position themselves as Conor Benn’s saviour, when they are the absolute polar opposite.

“This kid’s got himself in s*** and what he needed was proper grown-up, sophisticated, caring advice that looked at the long-term position for this boy and what was right for him.

“They didn’t, they looked after themselves, they ran for cover, they’ve dropped him in the s***, they’ve given him bad advice.

“And for Conor to be raging at people who have just simply said, ‘You’ve got to answer it,’ and then it to be fuelled and stoked and misrepresented by those around him is an absolute disgrace.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...rn-conor-benn/

Benn – son of British boxing icon Nigel – apologised for his reaction to the episode.

“I was a little bit bitter towards the public, I was a little bit bitter towards the boxing community,” Benn said. “I was angry. I’m emotional – I can’t help it, people know I’m emotional. It’s just the way I am.

“I’m an emotional guy, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I say what I feel like I want to say. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing, maybe the way I dealt with it wasn’t right; I know it wasn’t right.

“I apologise to the public. They deserved more from me, but in my head I’m bitter and angry, because I’m seeing this every day: ‘He’s guilty, he’s guilty, that’s it, he’s done it.’

“I responded with a cold shoulder, and I never should’ve responded like that, but how do you tell a 26-year-old how to respond? [...] It was a hard period, I didn’t deal with it great, but I apologise. I do regret the way I felt – the bitterness and the anger.”

At the time of his failed drug tests, Benn was accused by some of trying to ‘harm’ Eubank Jr, but the 26-year-old told Seconds Out: “I would rather lose a fight than seriously hurt someone, because I don’t think I could live with that.

“I’d rather lose a fight than know I’ve put someone in a coma who’s got family, because I’ve seen the damage; I’ve seen it cause pain, I’ve seen it hurt people.”

Benn also said in recent months that he had no intention of fighting in the UK in the near future, but he retracted that suggestion on Thursday.

“I’d like to fight back home. Me saying in an interview, ‘I have no plans on returning to England immediately,’ I take that back. That’s my home. There’s a lot of supporters there, and I’m not turning my back on them.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...2c05a188&ei=86

https://twitter.com/i/status/1659989260664025088

5 year ban minimum.

Conor Benn has been dropped from the WBC’s world rankings.

His reintroduction back into the WBC's ratings had been contentious as Benn still has not publicly resolved his position with the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) or had a British boxing licence reinstated after failing drug tests last year.

Benn had been provisionally suspended from fighting by UKAD after he twice tested positive for female fertility drug clomiphene ahead of a proposed fight against Chris Eubank Jr last year.

But the WBC have now removed him from their rankings due to the length of time he has gone without boxing, with no date yet set for a return to the ring.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Sky Sports: "The WBC ratings committee decided to remove Conor Benn due to the 15-month inactivity which is part of the ratings criteria.

"It seems there is no scheduled fight at this moment but Conor may contact the WBC to explain his case and his ranking situation may be addressed as a rating appeal [in] its process."

Benn had been returned to the WBC's rankings after the sanctioning body concluded his "highly-elevated consumption of eggs" was a "reasonable explanation" for failing a test.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...1c57ce58&ei=17

UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control have appealed against a decision to lift Conor Benn's suspension from boxing.

Benn, 26, failed two voluntary tests for female fertility drug clomifene before his cancelled October bout with Chris Eubank Jr.

UK Anti-Doping issued a suspension in March; the independent National Anti-Doping Panel lifted it after a hearing.

Benn reacted by saying he was "disappointed" to learn of the appeal.

"I'm disappointed at the news of an appeal being made, having already been cleared by both the WBC and National Anti-Doping Panel to continue my career without restriction," the boxer said.

"I am innocent. Nothing has changed and I remain confident in my position."

A UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) statement read: "UK Anti-Doping can today confirm that it has filed an appeal in respect of a decision handed down by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel regarding anti-doping proceedings brought by Ukad against Mr Conor Benn.

"As confirmed previously in Ukad's statement on 28 July 2023, Mr Benn is no longer subject to a provisional suspension."

The tests were conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada), which until this case had operated independent to the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

The board employs Ukad to do its testing, but elite fighters such as Anthony Joshua hire Vada to add an extra layer of testing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/66537167

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/new...ontrol-appeals
Here we go again!
If he had took the ban and fessed up in the first instance, he would’ve been fighting meaningful fights by now. (If he’s good enough that is.)

Would love to see him "fed" to Bud Crawdford, truth be told. Would be an interesting fight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

Would love to see him "fed" to Bud Crawdford, truth be told. Would be an interesting fight.

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1. Benn doesn’t deserve the fight or payday. Done absolutely nothing to deserve it.
2. The only interesting thing about the fight is which round Bud knocks him out. There is absolutely nothing that Benn has on his record to suggest he is at this level.
I really can’t believe why he is remotely relevant, obviously aside the name.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Primo Carnera

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

Would love to see him "fed" to Bud Crawdford, truth be told. Would be an interesting fight.

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1. Benn doesn’t deserve the fight or payday. Done absolutely nothing to deserve it.
2. The only interesting thing about the fight is which round Bud knocks him out. There is absolutely nothing that Benn has on his record to suggest he is at this level.
I really can’t believe why he is remotely relevant, obviously aside the name.

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True.