Conor Benn breaks silence on WBC clearing his name after failed drugs tests

23 February 2023 , 20:02

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Conor Benn breaks silence on WBC clearing his name after failed drugs tests

Conor Benn is not entirely happy with the WBC despite the organisation clearing his name after failing two drug tests.

Benn was scheduled to fight Chris Eubank Jr last October but the fight was cancelled after the son-of-a-legend returned a positive drug test for the banned substance clomifene. It was later revealed Benn failed two drug tests in the lead-up to the ill-fated fight, but he believed the first failure was a "faulty" result.

The WBC spent over a month breaking down a 270-page file submitted by Benn's team and officially cleared him of any wrongdoing earlier this week, bizarrely citing a 'highly-elevated consumption of eggs' as an explanation for his failed tests. Benn is happy that his name has been cleared by the organisation but "doesn't agree" with the entirety of their statement.

What are your thoughts on Conor Benn being cleared after two failed drug tests? Let us know in the comments section below

"I'm pleased that the WBC have finally cleared my name, with no sanction or ban of any kind and a reinstatement in the world rankings. I can now put this behind me and resume my career immediately. Whilst I welcome the ultimate outcome, I do not agree with everything said in the WBC's statement. That's something I am discussing further in my legal team," Benn wrote on Instagram.

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"There will be additional comment in due course but for the time being I just want to focus on getting my career back on track after being effectively prevented from fighting for many months. I want to thank my supporters for their patience and perseverance and am looking forward to my return with a vengeance."

Conor Benn has been officially cleared by the WBC (PA)

The WBC's statement concluded there was "no conclusive evidence" that Benn engaged in "intentional or knowing ingestion" of clomifene, a female fertility drug which can also boost testosterone levels in men. Although the WBC have cleared Benn of any wrongdoing, he still remains under investigation by UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control, making him unable to box in the UK.

Benn is eligible to fight in another country under a different governing body despite the ongoing UK investigation. The Brit's promoter Eddie Hearn has since revealed his plans to book Benn's comeback fight, telling Boxing Social: "This is now about finding places for Conor Benn to box. He can box anywhere in the world, but to box in the UK he has to go through a process, and we don't know how long that process is going to take."

Harry Davies