Another day in boxing, another comment on the Conor Benn doping drama – Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya believes a failed test means no fight.
Given the magnitude of the fight that almost was – Chris Eubank Jr versus Benn – there’s no wonder that in the aftermath of its postponement it’s being talked about throughout the sport.
Benn was found to have a banned substance in his system in the lead up, and the British Boxing Board of Control prohibited the fight.
Eddie Hearn, who was promoting the fight alongside Wasserman Boxing, spent around a day seemingly attempting to have the fight go ahead. Ultimately, he called it off, but it’s that hesitation that is the topic of much discussion.
De La Hoya, who is co-promoting with Hearn this weekend, told Boxing Social that when a test is failed, a fight should be off.
“Look, anyone cheating in any sport is a no go in my book. That’s just the bottom line. It’s not baseball where you’re hitting a ball, it’s not football where you’re scoring a touchdown, it’s not playing tennis. You’re actually hitting somebody’s head. You’re smashing somebody’s brain in, so if you’re failing a test it’s a no go.”
“I’m sorry – I love the fighters, I’m for the fighters, but in this case if you fail a test, you should not fight.”
It’s hard to argue his point about the dangers of the sport. It’s a line that many critics of Benn and the promotion are using, whereas the fighter and his team claim that the amounts of the drug in his system were so insignificant that no advantage was possible.