British boxing blockbuster in doubt after positive drugs test

Conor Benn failed a doping test ahead of his showdown with Chris Eubank Jr

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) says that this Saturday’s much-hyped boxing match between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr is “prohibited and not in the interests of boxing” after Benn tested positive for a banned substance.

Benn’s promoters, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, released a statement to say that a routine drug test had returned an “adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug,” but added that Benn’s B sample had yet to be tested and that he has not been suspended and therefore remains free to fight in Saturday’s all-British affair.

It is understood that Been tested positive for a female fertility drug called clomifene, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. 

The contest has garnered significant publicity in recent weeks, largely due to the two bouts that the boxers’ fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, had in the 1990s when they were arguably the finest British fighters of their era.

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— BBBofC (@BBBofCuk) October 5, 2022

However, the statement from the BBBofC suggests that Saturday’s fight is in major jeopardy. It added that its decision to not sanction the fight was communicated to both boxers and their respective promoters early on Wednesday morning.

Benn, though, has since claimed that he has discussed the issue with Eubank Jr and both have taken the decision to continue with the bout after seeking medical and legal advice, and that together they “want the fight to happen for the fans.”

“He believes in me. It's not who I am, it's not what I'm about. He was understanding,” Benn said of his purported discussion with his rival.

“Throughout my whole career I've never had any issues before. I'm a clean athlete and we'll get to the bottom of this.”