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Conor Benn Breaks Silence In Bombshell Statement: ‘How’s That For Transparency’

Written by Kerr Ferguson on 28th February 2023.

Conor Benn

Conor Benn has released a statement in response to the World Boxing Council verdict on his failed doping tests, highlighting ‘serious and troubling’ issues with the testing process.

Whilst the sanctioning body have cleared him of knowingly ingesting a banned substance, its report stood by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency testing procedures, instead citing his high consumption of eggs as a ‘reasonable explanation’ for Clomiphene in his system.

It’s been clear for days that Benn and his team weren’t happy with the WBC’s focus on eggs, and the conclusion has been ridiculed by fans and pundits.

The undefeated welterweight has now given his side of the story, and pulls no punches as to the testing procedure and what he believes to be serious breaches.

“The WBC have declared me innocent of being a drugs cheat. I am grateful for the ultimate finding. It was the right decision and it was the only one I was willing to accept … My only frustration is that the manner in which I’ve been cleared has seemed to create further questions and add further fuel to baseless negative speculation.”

“In my defence to the WBC and the 270 page report provided to them, at no point did I indicate that I failed any VADA tests because of contaminated eggs.”

Benn finally revealed what the 270 page dossier included, something which fans – and apparently the British Boxing Board – have been in the dark about until now.

His team prepared evidence that pointed to improper procedures.

“However, I feel like the WBC statement did a disservice to my defence which was based upon a comprehensive scientific review of the testing procedures, which set out a number of reasons why we believed the results were completely unreliable, and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that I am innocent.

The report prepared by my science and legal team contained extensive analysis of both tests and concluded that there was clear evidence of fundamental flaws and irregularities. By way of just one example, my sample appears to have come back clear the first three times it was tested. Without explanation, it was retested again after 9 days and only then did it show a trace positive result. It should only have been tested once!”

The 26-year-old – who is son of British boxing legend, Nigel Benn – confirms that he did indeed request a B sample of the failed tests, however claims that a representative of his was refused entry to the process.

“These critical findings were endorsed by an independent expert scientist who provides accreditation to laboratories, and his opinion was that the many issues were so troubling and serious that the lab could lose its accreditation. My team will be referring the issues to the relevant accrediting body so it can make its own determination.

For what it’s worth, and contrary to the media speculation at the time, I requested the B samples be tested at the earliest opportunity. Because of the importance of trying to get to the bottom of what had happened I arranged for a scientist to fly across the world to attend the testing procedure in person (as you’re allowed to do under the rules) and unbelievably she was not even allowed to be in the room when the test results came through. How’s that for transparency?

I have been advised that’s a major breach of an athlete’s rights and had it been necessary to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on this case to prove my innocence, that alone would have meant the test results were dismissed.”

Finally, Benn set out the belief that the substance was never in his system at all – something directly disputed in the WBC report – and said that testing errors is the conclusion he believes any investigation should land on.

“I am convinced the substance was never in my system and I certainly never knowingly ingested. I am told it’s something that supposedly stays in the body for months, and yet barely a week after failing a VADA test, I passed a UKAD test. I have never previously failed any kind of anti- doping test, and passed multiple tests with both UKAD and VADA in close proximity to the two tests that returned adverse findings. This adds further proof to my belief that the findings were testing errors.”

His full statement can be read below.

As of writing, the WBC have not publicly responded.