Frank Warren has weighed in on Conor Benn’s relinquishing of his license to the British Boxing Board of Control – and claims the fighter and his team made the decision in order to avoid a hearing.
Speaking to IFL TV, Warren claimed that if they wanted a hearing they would have provided all information to the BBBofC.
“I don’t know this ins and outs of it, the misconduct obviously relates to some of the stuff that’s gone on and he’s given up his license.
You give up your license for one reason and one reason only, and that’s so the board can’t hear it. If he’s given up his license then UKAD don’t need to test him.
He’s given up his license because they didn’t want the hearing. If they wanted the hearing they’d have provided all the samples from VADA, they’d have provided the B sample and they’d have gotten on with it – that’s it.”
The board released a statement on Wednesday stating that the 25-year-old had handed in his license the morning before he was due to appear at a hearing ordered because of allegations of misconduct.
Benn himself broke his silence to the media this week, repeating his claims of innocence and maintaining his desire to prove his status as a clean athlete. However, during those interviews, ‘The Destroyer’ also admitted he had failed a second test over the summer.
A theory of contamination have emerged from the Benn camp as an explanation for the presence of the banned substance in Benn’s system, but fan opinion online has been sceptical of these to say the least. The saga rolls on.