Conor Benn has been a hot topic in boxing ever since his positive drugs test forced the cancellation of his proposed cross-generational grudge match against vicious rival Chris Eubank Jr. However, the verdict of the recent UKAD appeal has stunted hopes of seeing Benn return to fight on British shores anytime soon and now ‘The Destroyer’ has broken his silence.
Benn ended an 18-month spell of inactivity, brought on by his clomifene tainted sample, with two fights in the United States within the last six months, defeating both Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson by unanimous decision in relatively disappointing displays by his standards.
Now Benn is being linked to a mammoth showdown with pound-for-pound legend Manny Pacquiao, which his promoter even suggested could take place in the United Kingdom. However, it has now been revealed that the ‘British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) and United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) have win their appeal against the National Anti-Doping Panel’s ruling to lift Benn’s provisional suspension’.
As a result, his chances of returning to fight in Great Britain have been slashed, whether he fights Pacquiao next of not, but on his social media the 27-year-old claimed that he is ‘blocking out the noise’ and ‘staying focussed’.
“Work ethic unmatched.
Block out the noise and stay focussed!”
Instead, it is likely that Benn continues his welterweight title charge outside of his home country, ranked third with both the WBC and WBA. As for a potential clash with ‘Pac-Man’, there is every chance that their fight could still be staged in Saudi Arabia, after the Filipino admitted that there is interest from the boxing catalysts in the Middle Eastern Kingdom.