Eddie Hearn has branded Derek Chisora ‘an utter prat’ for statement he made in regards to Conor Benn’s doping saga.
The young welterweight twice tested positive for a banned substance in 2022, seeing his fight with Chris Eubank Jr pulled at the last minute and his career thrown into limbo.
Benn had maintained his innocence throughout the process, claiming that the drug was never in his system in the first place. Hearn has stuck by his side, and is in the process of organising a comeback bout.
Recently, the WBC cleared him of ‘intentional ingestion’, pointing to a highly elevated consumption of eggs as good reason for the substance in his system. Whilst Benn doesn’t agree with how they arrive at the verdict, he is free to re-enter their world rankings.
Chisora had previously suggested that Matchroom had a part to play in the WBC’s positive result of Benn’s case, and, unsurprisingly, Hearn took issue with the statement.
He told IFL TV that ‘Del Boy’ could be an idiot, before joking about saying it to his face.
“He’s a complete and utter prat sometimes, Chisora. And I’ll tell him again. Some of the things he comes out with. And I love Derek, and we’ve had some great relationships, but sometimes he’s got to watch what he says, because he’s an idiot sometimes.
“And I’ll tell him… He’s not here is he?”
Despite Hearn’s confidence, the Guardian have recently reported a potential stumbling block in rescheduling the Eubank fight, which is targeted for June 3 in the Middle East.
Whilst the WBC have cleared the young welterweight to compete, the British Boxing Board of Control have not. The country’s governing body intends to push on with their investigation and will not let Benn compete until there’s a resolution.
As per the report, they could also have a part to play in whether or not Eubank – who is a BBBofC licensed fighter – is able to compete against Benn overseas.