Conor Benn sat down with Piers Morgan in his first television interview since the news broke of two failed doping tests for banned substance, Clomiphene – and the general consensus in the boxing world was that he shouldn’t have.
The 26-year-old, who has been trying to clear his name since October of 2022, joined the controversial television host to discuss the ongoing saga in which he plans to sue the British Boxing Board of Control and claims that the banned substance was never in his system despite two separate tests from months apart saying otherwise.
Fan opinion was generally negative towards the broadcast segment, and many voices from the boxing world agreed…
Johnny Nelson
“Conor’s in a position now where he’s failed not one but two drugs tests. So you can only go with fact, and that’s what it’s all about.”
“I wouldn’t have done it [the interview]. Unless you have something substantial to say, I wouldn’t have done it. Because it was bordering on Prince Andrew all over again man. It’s just hard. It’s a hard situation.”
“Everybody and anybody that watched that hoped Conor Benn would be able to actually say ‘right, this is the facts’ – nobody was any wiser after that interview, and for that alone, because he kept swerving a direct answer … if you’ve got some way to prove your innocence, why wouldn’t you?”
Dave Allen
“He’s failed two tests, hasn’t he? That’s it. I don’t have Twitter no more, I don’t read boxing stuff, but I see two failed test. I see the WBC let him back into their rankings. Until I see the British Boxing Board of Control say that he’s fully licensed back the UK, until I see UKAD or VADA say that he’s innocent, then all I see is two failed tests.”
“If they come out and say he’s innocent, I’ll put my hands up and I’ll apologise … What I don’t like is coming out and attacking people saying ‘you don’t believe in me’ and all this and ‘I’m innocent you should all believe me’ – why should we? You failed two tests. If I failed two tests I’d have got a four year ban and no one would’ve f***ing heard from me ever again.”
Michael Conlan
Just watched that interview. So many questions still! He failed two separate test right? Both contaminated? His pride is stopping evidence?
If anything, I’m more convinced he’s cheated. Either way tho, if a banned substance is in your system, you should be banned. #piersmorgan
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) March 7, 2023
Sunny Edwards
This interview looks cut to bits 👀
— Sunny Edwards (@SunnyEdwards) March 6, 2023
Chris Eubank Jr
I was 99% sure @ConorNigel was a cheat but after watching that interview with @piersmorgan now I’m 100% sure. Imagine failing TWO drugs tests & then trying to play the victim!? The balls on this kid!! Or should I say… the eggs on him 🤦🏽♂️
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) March 7, 2023
Dominic Ingle
“It just seemed to me that Conor just dug himself into a bigger hole. And I actually questioned myself and thought well why would you put yourself in that position, because all you’re doing there is putting yourself back in the firing line.”
“There was a lot of virtue signalling going off with him. ‘I’m [26], why would I do this, my family, my honour’ – that’s actually got nothing to do with whether you’ve taken drugs or not. And Piers kept saying to him ‘well you’ve got the facts just present the facts’ … You’ve been spouting off about this dossier of evidence that can clear your name but you want actually give it to somebody who can do something about it.”