The verdict on Conor Benn and his immediate fighting future in his home country is expected sooner rather than later, Boxing Social has been told.
Benn tested positive for a banned substance on two separate occasions last year, the news breaking just days before he was set to face Chris Eubank Jr.
In the time since, the undefeated 26-year-old has maintained a staunch defence, although wasn’t quick to provide evidence to the British authorities.
That changed recently, with Benn handing over what he had to the UK Anti Doping Agency and being provisionally suspended pending an investigation.
Benn’s manager, Charlie Sims, told Boxing Social that the situations was closer than ever to a resolution.
“There will be [a statement], obviously pending the conclusion of what we’re working towards at the moment – which I have to be a little bit delicate about because it’s still an ongoing legal case. We’re basically coming to a head now, where both parties are discussing and communicating and trying to find a way forward.
Both have their arguments. Conor Benn’s case is extremely compelling, and that’s why we’re still talking about it today. That’s been taking into consideration and we’re hoping we’re going to get some sort of conclusion in the next couple of weeks.
Conor Benn feels that he should be able to fight in the UK, and he’s fighting his case. We have to let him go through that process, let him do his thing with his legal team and hope that we can get that resolved in the next few weeks.”
On the upcoming verdict, Benn told us that he was accepting of the fact that many minds won’t change.
“It’s naive of me to say that this will just go away. Irrelevant of what I say or do, irrelevant of what the evidence says, some people will just never believe, some will always believe. Unfortunately this is what it is for me now, and when you learn to accept it you can move on from it.”
Talk behind the scenes is that Benn’s team are ‘positive’ on the outcome, and they have unofficially agreed terms to reignite the fight with Chris Eubank Jr this September.
Whether that will be overseas or in London, England is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.