Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr are set to finally meet tonight in a highly anticipated legacy bout originally scheduled for 2022. The fight, now taking place at London`s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before an estimated 65,000 spectators, has grown significantly in scale.
However, the initial meeting, planned for the smaller O2 Arena over 30 months ago, was cancelled at the last minute. The cancellation occurred after Conor Benn returned two adverse findings in Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) tests.
These VADA tests, conducted roughly two months and one month before the original fight date, revealed the presence of clomifene, a prohibited substance. Initially, the WBC, despite lacking jurisdiction over the specific situation, suggested a possible explanation for the positive tests in 2023, citing `highly elevated consumption of eggs`.
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) extended Benn`s provisional suspension, disagreeing with the WBC`s stance. However, later that year, the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) lifted the ban. An appeal by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the BBBofC against the NADP`s decision was ultimately unsuccessful, paving the way for Benn to reschedule his fight with Eubank.
Despite these legal outcomes, a clear explanation for how ‘The Destroyer’ tested positive twice for a performance-enhancing substance via VADA, considered the leading standard in drug testing, has still not been provided.
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, Benn`s promoter, shares the general uncertainty about whether this explanation will ever be publicly revealed.
When asked about the possibility of an explanation emerging, Hearn stated, “It depends on what UKAD decide to do with it.”
He added, “He’s been through three independent hearings now and has been successful in every single one. People advised him to go before UKAD, and he won. They advised him to go before the NADP, and he won.”
“He has been completely cleared through these processes. If that is not accepted, then what purpose does going through the system to clear your name serve?” Hearn questioned.
He concluded, “We need to look ahead now. This situation has been discussed for three years. We should channel that intensity into the fight and focus on defeating Eubank.”
