Conor Benn has failed a drugs test, placing his October 8 clash with Chris Eubank Jr in jeopardy – though both boxers want the fight to go ahead as planned regardless. Promoters have confirmed Benn’s Sample A returned an adverse finding for the banned substance clomifene. He has not been suspended from the fight and remains free to face Eubank Jr with Sample B still yet to be tested.
The medication is usually used to treat infertility in women but can increase testosterone in men and is prohibited by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) which is understood to have carried out the test on Benn. The test was carried out in August and Benn has not been charged.
A statement made by Wasserman Boxing, which was shared by Eddie Hearn, read: “We have been made aware that a random anti-doping test for Conor Benn conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association returned an adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug.
“The B sample has yet to be tested, meaning that no rule violation has been confirmed. Indeed, Mr Benn has not been charged with any rule violation, he is not suspended, and he remains free to fight.
“Mr Benn has since passed a doping control test conducted by the UK Anti-Doping Agency, the anti-doping authority to which the British Board of Boxing Control has delegated its doping control testing for the bout. Mr Benn has passed all doping control tests conducted by UKAD.
“Both fighters have taken medical and legal advice, are aware of all relevant information, and wish to proceed with the bout this Saturday.” It is presently unclear whether this weekend’s fight will actually go ahead as a result of the news but both parties intend for it to do so.
Kalle Sauerland who manages Eubank Jr told talkSPORT: “I can tell you that there has been a trace finding of a female fertility drug in a voluntary testing scheme, which is in an addition to UKAD, the British testing scheme. They both wanted to sign up to a voluntary scheme as well.
“End of August, there was a test taken by Benn in which there was this female fertility drug. The British board follows UCAD and the UCAD tests were presented to us as all negative. That’s the position, from a licensing POV, that we’ve received.
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“We took medical advice. It’s a non PED but at the same time it can raise the testosterone level. The experts we consulted didn’t think it was giving him an advantage. We then spoke to the most important person, our fighter.
“He was happy to continue. we spoke to Benn too, directly. There was a direct conversation between the two, I wasn’t part of that discussion. It seems to be a personal matter from Conor Benn, I cant comment more than that. At the same time, we have to focus on the show on Saturday and cannot be distracted by anything.”
The pair are set to contest their all-British grudge match at catchweight at the O2 Arena this weekend. The bout comes 30 years after their fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr, went head-to-head.
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