After years of legal back-and-forth’s the Conor Benn debacle appears to have finally come to an end and it is ‘The Destroyer’ and Eddie Hearn who will be beaming with delight after the British welterweight has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP).
Benn built up serious momentum a couple of years ago by securing early knockout wins over former world champions Chris Algieri and Chris van Heerden, teeing him up for the ultimate grudge match showdown against Chris Eubank Jr. in a cross-generational trilogy bout that was kickstarted by their fathers.
However, the fight was cancelled just days prior to their scheduled meeting, with Conor Benn testing positive for a banned substance named Clomifene during the build-up.
The undefeated 147lber engaged in a war of words with numerous parties as he maintained his innocence but most notably had a high-profile falling out with the British Boxing Board of Control and revoked his licence – being banned from fighting in the United Kingdom as a result.
During the two years that have passed since his failed test, Conor Benn has returned to action stateside in two unanimous-decision wins against Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson, but failed to meet expectations in both encounters.
Still, the name of Conor Benn has remained a tainted one and it has been evident that the Essex-born contender was desperate to fight in his home country.
Now, it appears as though Conor Benn may soon be able to return to fighting in Old Blighty as he posted to his Instagram that he has finally been cleared of any wrongdoing in an emotional and long-awaited statement.
“I am thankful that, after an incredibly challenging 2 years, the National Anti-Doping Panel has today cleared me of any wrongdoing.
“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 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 shared ambition of a clean sport and I look forward to reconciling with the Board and moving forward together.
“I would like to thank my fans that have stood by me, 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 focussed despite the challenges faced, which is a testament to my desire to be great.
“I’m relieved to finally close this chapter and excited to get back in the ring to realise my ultimate potential!
“Who wants it next!?
“CB.”
Since making the post, Conor Benn has subsequently deleted the post from his feed but has kept it up on his IG story.
Why he chose to do that is anyone’s guess.
In terms of who may be next, it has become clear in recent weeks that the focus for Conor Benn and Eddie Hearn is well and truly on the rescheduling of his salivating and inevitable clash with Eubank Jr., with rumours that the pair could meet in Saudi Arabia on February 22nd sure to gain momentum once again.
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