After plenty of false starts following the controversy around his failed doping tests, Conor Benn will step back into the ring this weekend in Florida. David Haye says ‘it’s time.’
Benn has been out of the ring since April 2022, after which he failed two doping tests and had his proposed fight with Chris Eubank Jr cancelled.
Since then he has been battling to clear his name and, in the eyes of the Boxing Board of Control, has not yet done so. The organisation has appealed the latest lifting of his provisional suspension.
As such his fight this weekend with Mexican Rodolfo Orozco will be under the auspicious of a different commission in America.
Haye has some experience of this – albeit with extremely different circumstances – after his fight with Derek Chisora had to be licensed by the boxing board of Luxembourg after the British board refused to sanction it following a press conference brawl.
Speaking to TalkSport Boxing, Haye reckoned Benn should be fight if he is able to under the rules.
“I don’t know the ins and outs, if he’s free to fight in America then it’s his right to fight in America. Last I heard he was OK to fight. I know there has been an appeal against that but if he’s free to fight he can fight. It’s time.”
He went on to say that he thinks Benn has already served enough of a penalty.
“He’s been out of the ring a while. Fighters that have been convicted of a lot worse than him have had six months ban, he’s had more than that already.”
Finally, he said he thinks the whole drug testing system in boxing needs to be looked at.
“I don’t know how somebody proves anything, the whole system is up in the air, it needs an overhaul.”