BOXING promoter Frank Warren has praised the British Boxing Board of Control for stepping in and prohibiting Conor Benn’s fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
The grudge match between Benn, 26, and Eubank Jr, 33, was scheduled for this Saturday.
However, after Benn failed a drugs test, the bout was thrown into doubt.
Traces of clomifene were discovered in his system, which is a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Clomifene is commonly used as medication to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate, but it can also increase testosterone levels in men.
The BBBoC then stepped in and declared the scrap is prohibited under their sanctioning, despite BOTH fighters wanting to continue with the bout – a decision which promoter Warren has praised.
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Warren says the Board have shown “integrity” as the fight going ahead wouldn’t be in “the best interests of boxing”.
Joining talkSPORT Drive, Warren gave his assessment on the situation, saying: “What’s happening here is that the two boxers are going to earn a lot of money and can see it’s not going to happen.
“They’ve trained hard. Eubank Jr is taking a calculated risk in as much saying ‘I don’t care if he’s taken it, I think I can beat him’. That’s where he’s at.
“The promoter wants it to go on, but that’s not in their best interests or the best interests of boxing.
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“The Board has shown some integrity here if the fact is he’s tested positive.
“Nobody has denied that, but the bottom line is why have you signed up for VADA if you didn’t need to and were relying on the UKAD tests?
“Why pay the money out to have them tested?”
Warren says if he was faced with a similar situation, he would’ve pulled the fight too.
He added: “Yeah I would [pull the fight]. If something goes drastically wrong, what are you going to do about it? Where do you go with that?
“Everyone was worried about it in the sport anyway.
“Conor is coming up in weight, Chris Eubank is having to drain himself to make that weight. He’s 33, he’s not a young kid.
“The big problem in boxing when we’ve had problems, most of the time it has been dehydration.
“God forbid if anything went wrong, how do you justify it?”
Both Benn’s promoter Hearn and Eubank Jr’s in Kalle Sauerland said the fight will still go ahead.
Hearn said Benn passed tests undertaken by UK Anti-Doping, meaning he will not face a suspension by the BBBoC.
He said: “Conor Benn is not suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control, ultimately he can’t be, because he passed all the tests from UKAD.
“But clearly the British Boxing Board of Control will take a position on it, we’ll deal with the lawyers.”
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According to ESPN, Hearn is attempting to obtain a court injunction to allow the fight to go ahead.
The catchweight clash of 157lb was set to take place almost 30 years after their dads’ famous rematch, which ended a draw.
🥊Eubank Jr vs Benn: Ring walk time, live stream, TV channel and undercard info for London super-fight
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
