Eddie Hearn calls for Conor Benn to be allowed to 'clear his name'
‘Let the facts come out’: Defiant Eddie Hearn calls for Conor Benn to ‘have his moment’ in order to ‘clear his name’ following a positive drugs test that saw his blockbuster fight with rival Chris Eubank Jr cancelled
- Conor Benn’s bout with Chris Eubank Jr was called off after he failed a drugs test
- Eddie Hearn has told boxing fans to wait before making a judgement on Benn
- He believes Benn should have the right to clear his name after the positive test
Eddie Hearn has called for boxing fans to ‘let the facts come out’ before jumping to conclusions on Conor Benn after his positive drugs test.
Last weekend’s highly anticipated clash between Eubank Jr and Benn was called off on Thursday after Sportsmail broke the bombshell news that Benn had tested positive for banned substance clomifene.
Co-promoters Hearn and Kalle Sauerland – as well as both Eubank Jr and Benn – on Wednesday insisted they still planned for the fight to go ahead, before official confirmation came through that the fight was off.
Eddie Hearn said that Conor Benn should have the right to clear his name after his failed drugs test that led to the cancellation of his proposed blockbuster fight with Chris Eubank Jr
Benn could now face a ban of up to four years, with Britain’s anti-doping chiefs poised to formally investigate the positive drug test.
And Hearn provided an update on Benn almost a week on from the revelations and called for Benn to have the opportunity to clear his name.
‘He’s (Benn) got a big fight on his hands,’ he told Matchroom Boxing.
‘There’s a lot of information about the testing that will come to light. Everyone is very quick to make their assumptions on this sort of situation.
‘Conor Benn will have the right to clear his name and people should let him do that. It’s been a difficult situation for everybody. It was a difficult situation building in to the fight.’
Hearn referenced a similar situation when Dillian Whyte was provisionally suspended by the World Boxing Council after he returned an adverse drug test ahead of his fight and victory against Oscar Rivas.
Benn failed a drugs test ahead of the fight after testing positive for banned substance clomifene
However, the charge against the British boxer was later dropped.
Hearn said: ‘We’ve seen it before with Dillian Whyte and people apologised when he was clear of all charges in that situation.
‘I’ve seen the criticism of course but also understand this wasn’t something that was kept from anybody.
‘The decision (to cancel the fight) was discussed between all parties involved in the fight from the fighters, to the promoters, to the commission.
‘We have to let the commission do their job and it wasn’t a case that the story stopped the fight. The commission had made their decision to stop the fight before any story came out in the media and we had to go through that situation.
Last weekend’s fight between Chris Eubank Jr (left) and Conor Benn (right) was cancelled
‘We wanted Benn to have his opportunity as many have before to be heard and that will now happen post fight – Let him have that moment.
‘Its a very important time for him. Some people have made their mind up as they have done before. Let the facts come out and then make a decision.’
Benn has vowed to prove his innocence since fight was cancelled and insisted that he is a ‘a clean athlete’.
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