Chris Eubank Jr still believes that his ‘born rival’ Conor Benn still has major questions to answer despite his recent clearance from the national anti-doping panel regarding his two failed VADA-administered tests for the substance clomifene.
Eubank Jr had been slated to face Benn on October 5th 2022 at London’s O2 Arena. However, news emerged on fight week regarding Benn’s failed tests for the substance mentioned, which were conducted in July and September.
After much deliberation between Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn and Wasserman Boxing’s Kalle Sauerland, the contest was pulled once the BBBofC announced that they would no long sanction the contest due to Benn’s testing discrepancies.
Benn has always maintained his innocence and was removed from the WBC’s welterweight rankings before being returned earlier this year, believing that Benn had been subject to food contamination as the reason why he tested positive for the substance previously mentioned.
Benn was officially provisionally suspended in April by UK Anti-doping, which ground his career officially to halt. However, Benn relinquished his boxing licence shortly after his bout with Eubank Jr collapsed.
Benn was officially cleared by the National Anti-Doping Panel late last week to resume his career; however, UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control are still entitled to appeal the decision within twenty-one days.
Eubank Jr, when speaking to the Mirror, re-emphasised his desire to fight Benn.
“I guess it’s a good thing because now the fight can be made at some point, which it will. I don’t know when, but it will happen at some point in the UK, which is important. There was a lot of talks of it happening in the Middle East, and that was something I didn’t really want to do because it’s such a huge fight out here.”
However, despite Eubank Jr’s desire to face Benn, he was less than complimentary towards Benn and says that any claim that Benn is now absolved from any responsibility is ‘Bullshit.’
“Lawyers and court hearings and essays and Eddie Hearn saying all the things he’s saying – it doesn’t mean anything. The fact is you got caught twice, and no one’s ever gonna forget it. It doesn’t mean that you didn’t do what you did, cause you did do it.
“You want to say, ‘I’m absolved, and it was all a big misunderstanding’, nah that’s bullshit. Boxing’s a business, and I still wanna fight him, so the fight will be made at some point.”
Before any dealings between the rivals whose respective fathers had their own fiery rivalry (Chris Sr & Nigel), Eubank Jr has to face Liam Smith on September 2nd, which is a contractually obliged rematch. Smith claimed an upset stoppage victory over Eubank Jr in January of this year, claiming victory inside four rounds.
Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently stated that he is targeting Benn’s ring return to come in September and hopes it can take place in the UK.
