According to his promoter Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn should face a life ban from the sport for testing positive twice.
If you take the Matchroom CEO’s logic from 2012 and again in 2018, Benn would be thrown out due to a double violation.
Eleven years ago, Hearn said: “Any athlete that tests positive twice should be banned for life, in my opinion.”
Eddie Hearn contradiction
Then, when Billy Joe Saunders faced being thrown out of a fight with Demetrius Andrade six years on, Hearn repeated his contradiction.
“What is the point in signing up for drug testing if, when you fail, everyone just goes, ‘Oh don’t worry about it, just let him fight,” in an interview with IFL TV.
He added: “The argument of ‘well, it’s alright with UKAD’ is totally irrelevant. You’ve signed up for drug testing with VADA – the best testing agency, in my opinion, in the sport.
“I really I wanted this fight to happen, but he failed a VADA test. You can’t ignore it. Otherwise, the sport’s a mockery.”
Those words from Hearn don’t seem to be his philosophy based on previous comments. Benn tested positive twice and has launched a legal campaign with the country’s most expensive UK sports lawyer to fight his claim.
Using eggs as an excuse for trace amounts of clomifene in his samples [the first Googled possibility found by WBN] has taken months to come to light.
Airing his opinion on Benn’s situation, which seems to be different due to his affiliation, Hearn stated: “The UKAD testing, which is the testing agency that the BBBofC used and are governed by, have all been clear and negative. There was an adverse finding on a VADA test previously, so there’s not been an official doping violation.”
If VADA’s testing procedures equal no fail for Benn, that goes against what Hearn has stated on the matter prior.
Hearn believes Benn should be given the benefit of the doubt to prove himself as a contaminated fighter.
Conor Benn’s egg lawyer claim
“There’s a process that has to be gone through. Conor Benn is not suspended,” Hearn continued. “He can’t be because he’s passed all the tests from UKAD.
“But clearly, the British Boxing Board of Control will take a position on it. We’ll deal with the lawyers.
“The ongoing process now with the investigation, it’s a difficult situation for the Board because the Board does not acknowledge VADA testing.”
Adding further, with Hearn’s argument that VADA is the ‘best agency’ for testing, the BBBofC should be acknowledging those tests.
There needs to be unity and clarity for all. Otherwise, these farcical happenings will keep occurring. We will continue to see positive boxers allowed to fight as soon as they hire a lawyer.
The Board is usually in no position to fight off the most significant cases, as proven with Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte in recent years.
Both British heavyweights were cleared of blame eventually and, in some cases, got public backing from the Board.
Benn’s future looks to be back on track with the eggs claim from his legal team. The only problem that could arise would be that UK farmers are not allowed to use clomifene in their egg production.
We await the final ruling.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of experienced boxing writer Phil Jay. Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
