During the official press conference for Shavkatzhon Rakhimov Vs Joe Cordina today in Cardiff, news broke that UKAD have officially charged and provisionally suspended Conor Benn.
The ongoing saga saw Benn’s British mega-fight with Chris Eubank Jr last year get cancelled due to two failed tests, it was the second failed drug test that ultimately put an end to the fight.
Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn spoke exclusively to ProBox TV News to give his thoughts on the ever-bemusing situation surrounding his fighter.
“I know as much as you.” Hearn said when responding to UKAD’s recent decision. “Ultimately every bit of information I have got from this is from the media in a supposed confidential scenario. You’ve just had Amir Khan, where apparently for 14 months nobody knew, including the media. Yet, every turn of events with the [British Boxing] Board and UKAD, the media know before I do. So there is something unbelievably strange going on.
Benn follows in his father, Nigel Benn’s footsteps, who famously tore up his British Boxing licence live on TV. Abu Dhabi and America have both been spoken of as a destination for Benn’s next fight, away from the auspices of the British Boxing Board of Control.
“They don’t like him! Maybe they don’t like us.” Hearn stated. “He hasn’t played it the best at times. He’s played it without advice and from the heart. There is an agenda against him, but he still has to answer and go through this process. It’s not like they are just going to let him off. If you honestly think he’s getting a fair crack at the whip, then you are a madman.
“A lot of questions I’m being asked today, is why is this stuff being leaked to the media? It’s a question from me [too]. But everyone is saying that. I came out to do the presser and I spoke to Tony Sims and I asked him if I had seen it, he said ‘no, I haven’t seen it”’ and that was The Daily Mail report about it.
“I think that the process with the Board and UKAD is not fit for purpose in today’s world of anti-doping.” Hearn went on. “That is what I think, the process is particularly fit for purpose. We will have to see how this affects our relationship with the Board. I had to ask them recently, Fabio Wardley is fighting Frazer Clarke, purse-bids are on May 12th and Frazer Clarke announces another fight on June 10th. I said ‘hang on a minute, we are bidding for a purse bid in May for a fight that takes place in June or first week of July, to take place at a football stadium and you are allowing him to fight on June 10th.’ What is that all about? Their rules need updating.”
