Conor Benn 's trainer Tony Sims has admitted he is "devastated" after a failed drug test led to Benn's fight with Chris Eubank Jr being cancelled.
Benn and Eubank Jr were scheduled to meet in a 157lb catchweight fight this Saturday, 30 years on from their fathers' legendary rematch which ended in a draw. But the fight was called off after Benn returned a positive result for the banned substance clomifene stemming back from a VADA test taken in August. Sims, who has been working with Benn since he was a teenager, said the boxer is determined to get to the bottom of his adverse finding after maintaining he did not knowingly take the substance.
"After 26 years in boxing, a sport I love and have dedicated my life to, I can say hand on heart that I have never experienced or witnessed any athlete in my camp fail an anti-doping test, voluntary or mandatory and I stand proud by that fact," Sims wrote. "Today leaves me truly devastated as we call a postponement to such an amazing event that I was honoured to say I was a part of.
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"I have worked closely with Conor Benn for the last seven years, developing and mentoring him as a fighter in the ring and a man outside of it. In particular we have completed this recent 12-week camp alongside Nigel, his father who has lived with Conor day to day, beginning to end.
"Having spoken to Conor personally in length surrounding the subject and listening to him, I support him as a coach and a friend. We are determined to get to the bottom of this as a team, working closely with Conor's legal advisors in an effort to understand the meaning of the "adverse finding" and resolve this matter urgently."
Benn has not been officially suspended by the BBBofC as the result of his B-sample from the failed test is yet to come back. The 26-year-old, who returned negative UKAD tests ahead of the now-cancelled fight, maintained his innocence by stating: "I am truly gutted we are unable to make this fight happen on Saturday and I am sorry to everybody who has been affected by this postponement I am still shocked by this and shocked by this, and it has been a tough couple of days. My team and I will consider the next options including rescheduling the fight, but my immediate focus is on cleaning my name because I am a clean athlete!”
