Former two-weight world champion, Carl Frampton, has hit out at doping in the sport following news today that Conor Benn had tested positive for trace amounts of a banned substance in the lead up to his fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
One of the biggest British sporting events of the year was plunged into doubt today as reports surfaced about the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency test of Benns A sample which returned findings of clomifene – a drug usually prescribed to women with infertility but also reported to raise testosterone levels in men. It should be noted that the B sample of said test has yet to be inspected, and Benn’s camp continue to argue their innocence and hint that more information will soon come to light.
In an interview with IFL TV inspired by today’s events, Frampton spoke generally about doping in the sport, taking a hard stance on anybody found to be breaking the rules.
“It’s happening more and more often and it’s just horrible. I just believe if you’re caught with any performance enhancing drug you should be banned. You should be banned for life, genuinely.
In a sport where there is obviously danger, you could take another man’s life. We’ve seen it before, it’s horrible but it happens on very rare occasions.
It’s wrong and it infuriates me – I hate it. What can happen, and I’ve seen it before, is the promoter goes and gets a license from another governing body, whether it’s Malta or Luxembourg or wherever, and the fight can take place. If that happens, it’s a joke, it really is a joke.
There should be no grey areas, there should be nothing , if you fail a test – that should be it.
The more I think about it, I can be very, very proud of what I did in my sport drug free, considering I think it’s probably a lot more rife than we’re lead to believe.”
When asked if Conor Benn should fight again if it’s proven he did knowingly take a banned substance, Frampton replied:
“I think he will… but anybody, anybody who failed a drugs test before should not fight again”
As of writing, we await further details of the test and, perhaps, an explanation from Benn.
Until that information is made available, the fighter and his team will hope that fans reserve their judgement. Whatever evidence has been provided to Chris Eubank Jr is seemingly enough for him to proceed with the fight on Saturday. Whether or not it will go ahead is, surprisingly, still up in the air.