Eddie Hearn has urged boxing fans to ‘let the facts come out’ after Conor Benn returned an adverse drug test result that saw his fight with Chris Eubank Jr called off last week.
Benn, 26, was scheduled to take on Eubank Jr, 33, at London’s O2 Arena last Saturday (8 October). However, it was revealed on Wednesday (5 October) that Benn had returned a test result with traces of a fertility drug – namely the banned substance clomifene – and the British Boxing Board of Control prohibited the 157lbs catchweight contest from going ahead.
Promotions Matchroom and Wasserman put out a joint-statement on Thursday (6 October), declaring that the all-British bout had been postponed.
Discussing the situation this Tuesday (11 October), Hearn said on Matchroom’s YouTube channel: “Obviously [Benn] has got a big fight on his hands. There’s a lot of information we know about the testing that will come to light.
“Everyone’s very quick to make their assumptions as always in this situation; we’ve seen it before with Dillian Whyte, and I didn’t see many people apologise when Dillian Whyte was cleared of all charges and was actually completely innocent in that situation.
“Conor Benn will have the right to clear his name, people should let him do that.”
Hearn, who promotes both Benn and Whyte, was referencing a 2019 case involving the latter. Whyte, 34, was provisionally suspended by the World Boxing Council when it was revealed after his win against Oscar Rivas that the Briton had returned an adverse drug test result before the bout. The charge against Whyte was later dropped, however.
“It’s been a difficult situation for everybody,” Hearn continued. “I’ve seen the criticism of course, but also understand: This wasn’t something that was kept from anybody; it was discussed between all parties involved in the fight – from the fighters to the promoters to the commission – and we have to let the commision do their job, which ultimately they did.
“It wasn’t a case of ‘the story stopped the fight;’ the commission had made their decision before any story [a Daily Mail report last Wednesday] came out in the media. We had to go through that process, because as I said, once you find out the information regarding the testing... It was a difficult position, because people were comfortable with the scientific facts around that.
“We wanted Conor Benn to have his opportunity, as many have before, to be heard. That will now happen post-fight, and obviously the fight [didn’t take] place. But let him have that time, let him have that moment.
“He has to go out, and obviously it’s a very important time for him now, because some people have made their minds up – as they’ve done before. Let the facts come out and make your decision.”
Benn and Eubank Jr were scheduled to square off in a main-event contest almost 29 years to the day after their fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, fought one another for the second and final time.
Conor Benn has maintained his innocence since the adverse finding was revealed, insisting: “I’m a clean athlete.”
