Eddie Hearn, the man who would have promoted Chris Eubank Jr versus Conor Benn, has assured fans that more information will be released surrounding Benn’s positive doping test.
The fight was pulled at the last minute when news broke that Hearn’s fighter had recently been found by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) to have a banned substance in his system. Hearn told DAZN Boxing that he knew postponing the event was the correct decision.
“You leave these decisions in the hands of the commission, and they made that decision – a decision that could have been challenged – but we decided not to. We understand it was right not to.”
He then went on to hint that new information on Benn’s test result would, he expected, alter people in the sport’s perception of the matter.
“And now, we leave all the information in the hands of Conor Benn’s lawyers, who has a big fight on his hands, and you will see a lot of information come to light where, I believe, you will change your mind.”
The substance in question is clomifene, or clomid, and is said to be used in sports doping as a testosterone booster and masking agent. As far as response from the boxing world, it has been pretty damning so far, although there is a consensus that judgement should be somewhat reserved until the fighter has a chance to speak on the matter.
Benn, his father, and his trainer have all released statement ensuring that he is, and always has been, a clean fighter. So far, there has been nothing more from them to counteract the potentially damning news of the banned substance in his system – pressure which doubled this morning following a new story from Mail Sport with claims of an investigation into a second failed test.