Conor Benn's suspension lifted, clearing him to fight in U.K.
Two years after pair of failed drug tests, case is apparently closed
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Welterweight Conor Benn, mired in a two-year battle with regulators in his home country of England over positive tests for performance enhancing drugs, is free to resume his career at home after his provisional suspension was lifted by the British Boxing Board of Control on Wednesday.
Benn likely will return to the ring in the first quarter of 2025 with a mega fight against Chris Eubank Jr. the biggest fight he could make and one that has been in high demand by the British public as a continuation of the rivalry their father’s had in a pair of popular battles 30 years ago. After Eubank stopped Kamil Szeremeta in the seventh round on Oct.12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Benn confronted him in the ring, where they reiterated their desire to fight each other and re-ignited hype for the fight.
Benn (23-0, 14 KOs), 28, who is the son of British boxing icon Nigel Benn, was scheduled for a pay-per-view main event against Eubank in a 157-pound bout on Oct. 8, 2022, but it was canceled a few days beforehand when the results of one of his two failed Voluntary Anti-Doping Association tests for the banned substance Clomiphene came to light.
Benn has been unable to get a license to box in the U.K. since and has been in a non-stop battle with the BBBofC and British testing agency United Kingdom Anti-Doping since.
Eventually, the U.K.’s National Anti-Doping Panel lifted the suspension because of a technicality, but the BBBofC and UKAD appealed the decision and won its case in May, which kept Benn suspended and unable to fight at home.
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A key Benn argument was that VADA, which Benn and Eubank contracted with to test them during the lead up to the canceled fight, is not recognized by the BBBofC. It relies on UKAD, which also tested the fighters and those tests were negative.
“I am thankful that after an incredibly challenging two years the National Anti-Doping Panel has today finally cleared me of any wrongdoing,” Benn said in a statement. “This past 24 months has unquestionably been the toughest fight of my life. A rollercoaster period within which the WBC had already decided that I was innocent and the NADP decided in the first instance that there was no case to answer and I was free to fight.
“As someone who is so passionate about boxing and an advocate for clean sport, I hope now (that) I have been cleared it can be understood why I have maintained my innocence so strongly throughout. As a man of God I bear no ill will toward UKAD or the British Boxing Board of Control, we have a shared ambition of a clean sport and I look forward to reconciling with the Board and moving forward together.”
The WBC’s ruling was only that it believed Benn had not knowingly taken the Clomiphene, whereas most commissions issue a suspension if the banned substance is found, regardless of how it got in the body. Benn claimed it was in his system to due to high levels of egg consumption.
UK Anti-Doping, the national drug testing agency in the U.K., issued its own statement on the situation and reserved its right to appeal Wednesday’s decision.
“UKAD notes that professional boxer Mr. Conor Benn has made public comments today regarding the outcome of proceedings before the independent National Anti-Doping Panel,” it said. “UKAD can confirm that it received the decision of the independent National Anti-Doping Panel this afternoon. The panel concluded that it was ‘not comfortably satisfied’ that UKAD had proved that Mr. Benn had committed an anti-doping rule violation for the use of Clomiphene. The provisional suspension previously in place has been lifted and the charge against him has been consequently dismissed.
“UKAD will now carefully review the panel’s decision in accordance with its appeal rights under the UK Anti-Doping rules.”
UKAD has 21 days to file an appeal.
Although Benn was suspended in the U.K., he did end a 17-month layoff with the first of two wins in the United States, the first in September 2023 in Orlando, Florida, and then in Las Vegas in February.
Benn was permitted to fight in the U.S. after the Association of Boxing Commissions controversially removed him from the United States’ national suspension list. It cited a lack of cooperation from the BBBofC in offering any updates or timeline on his case. Once he was removed from the U.S. suspension list, the Florida Athletic Commission agreed to license him with Nevada later doing the same.
“I would like to thank my fans that have stood by me,” Been said in his statement. “Your support has never and will never go unnoticed, and, of course, my friends and family, all of whom have displayed an unwavering belief in me. Only with the strength of all this support have I made it through. I would also like to thank Matchroom and Everlast as their steadfast support ensured that I could see the process through to a full conclusion.
“I have stayed disciplined and focused despite the challenges faced, which is a testament to my desire to be great. I’m relieved to finally close this chapter and am excited to get back in the ring to realize my ultimate potential! Who wants it next!?”
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https://open.substack.com/pub/billionairbear/p/logan-pauls-brother-vs-mike-tyson?r=1g5bw0&utm_medium=ios
All the good fighters are on something, he's a cheat that got caught.
He had know power in his punches in the fights after being caught.