Conor Benn believes he has evidence to prove his innocence in the doping drama that has engulfed his once-prospering boxing career, but he claims ‘pride’ is stopping him providing it to the British Boxing Board Of Control.
The undefeated fighter has been embroiled in a failed drug test scandal since October of 2022, however was recently cleared by the WBC of ‘intentional ingestion’ and free to return to their world rankings.
This came after he employed legal and scientific teams to create a 270 page dossier of information regarding the banned substance and testing procedures.
He told Piers Morgan, as per The Sun, that fighting for his innocence was doing it the hard way.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before in any other athlete, whether they’ve raised their hands to it or they’ve just taken a small ban.”
“I was willing to fight and prove my innocence — although there was an easy way out at the beginning in lying and saying, ‘I may have accidentally done this, I may have done this by accident’ and taken a small six month ban.
“Instead I chose to fight this because my integrity mattered more to me. I would never ever, ever raise my hands to something I ain’t done. This is the first time I’ve been able to speak on this.”
The British Board have an investigation of their own though, separate from the WBC’s and, in the minds of many fans, much more important.
It’s been claimed by their General Secretary, Robert Smith, that they have not been cooperated with sufficiently to allow the case to proceed. To Benn, fighting on away soil is a small price to pay.
“My dad tore up his British boxing licence on TV in the 80s. I don’t have to be licensed by the board. I don’t plan on fighting in Britain any time soon.”
Rather than providing the same 270 pages of evidence, Benn is reportedly considering legal action against the BBBofC. Asked by Morgan why he wouldn’t just hand the details over, he said ‘pride.’
“My pride, the way they have dealt with this.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn is setting things in motion for a summer comeback fight, potentially in the Middle East, with eight-division world champion, Manny Pacquiao, a frontrunner for his opponent.