Conor Benn’s ranking reinstated as drug testing issue resolved

**Master** · 03-06-2023 01:13 PM

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

**Master** · 03-06-2023 02:07 PM

“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

**palmerq** · 03-07-2023 02:05 AM

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

**Spicoli** · 03-08-2023 12:48 AM

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

. And Eddies all on board with the head in the sand puppet tour? What a guy.

**Kirkland Laing** · 03-08-2023 04:56 AM

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

The WBC really covering themselves in glory here.

**Primo Carnera** · 03-08-2023 09:35 AM

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

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.

**Master** · 03-21-2023 06:47 PM

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/

**Master** · 04-05-2023 05:12 PM

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/

**Master** · 05-05-2023 03:19 PM

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