Former two-division world champion, Paulie Malignaggi, has spoken out in light of the increased number of failed drugs tests in recent months, after a surge in adverse findings have caused multiple disruptions to the sport.
Last year, Conor Benn famously tested positive for Clomiphene ahead of his scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
Since that result, Dillian Whyte, Robert Helenius and Alycia Baumgardner have also returned adverse test findings.
Helenius was drafted in as a last minute replacement to face Anthony Joshua after Whyte was pulled from the event for failing a test, only for the Finnish heavyweight to also report a positive finding – something which only came to light after the fight.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Malignaggi campaigned for a ten-year ban on boxers who fail a test and highlighted the improvement of one fighter.
“I’m okay with a ten-year ban if they fail! I think that would put everyone off of fighting [with drugs in their system], but you know that they are not going to enforce that if a superstar fails. Conor Benn may have been innocent, but how is it that when all of the money is behind you, all of a sudden he is innocent?
Conor Benn started punching harder than anyone that you see in boxing a couple of years ago, before that he was not punching like that, you want to tell me you’re not [using P.E.D’s]? There is a problem there, I saw the knockout he had against Chris Algieri, who is a durable guy, he hit him like this [flicks hand] and he was out cold!
That guy wasn’t punching like that before, I’m sorry to tell you. Does that mean that my opinion on that makes him dirty for sure? No. But then he failed a test, he pays all the money, and then all of a sudden he is clean? I’m tired of it.”
Benn has always maintained his innocence and after having his UKAD suspension lifted is now eyeing a ring return later this month.