Hearn claims ‘contamination’ was reason for Benn’s failed drugs test

Chris Eubank JR and Conor Benn preview their fight

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Eddie Hearn has hinted that ‘contamination’ could have caused the failed drugs test that ‘prohibited’ Conor Benn’s fight against Chris Eubank Jr. Benn’s family grudge match with Eubank Jr was pulled after it was revealed just days before the catchweight bout that there was an adverse finding of fertility drug clomifene in Benn’s tests carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). 

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) refused to sanction the fight after Benn’s failed test, stating that it was ‘not in the interests of boxing’. Benn has since ‘voluntarily relinquished’ his licence to box, the board has confirmed. The 26-year-old had been called to a hearing on October 21 and the misconduct allegations against him have been upheld. 

An unattributed message on Benn’s official Instagram account later stated that the fighter had decided not to renew his licence, and the investigation into his drugs test is ‘unfair and biased.’ “In the meantime he reiterates in no uncertain terms that he is a clean athlete,” the story post read. 

While the investigation is ongoing, Benn’s promoter Hearn has suggested that the level of drugs found in Benn’s system found points to possible contamination during the VADA testing.

“The reason I say it [the B sample] doesn’t matter – of course it matters – but in terms of contamination which is… everything in the results of this test – which you’ll hear from [Conor about], I have to be careful I want to tell you more – leads to a contamination,” Hearn told reporters on Wednesday.

“When I talk about contamination, contamination can happen in a lab and contamination can happen via various different means during a process. The B sample will only necessarily come back negative if there’s been a contamination or a mistake in the laboratory. 

“It’s the same sample, so 99.9% of the time the B sample will be exactly the same. It’s been requested. I don’t know the testing process with Conor, you’ll hear from him. I would expect it to come back positive as well, in all honesty. It generally always does. If it doesn’t, fantastic.

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“But the levels in this amount, surrounded by the other testing that took place, would lead to suggestion of contamination of some kind in this test.”

Meanwhile, former middleweight champion Nigel Benn has come out to defend his son, reiterating after his fight was pulled that he is a ‘clean athlete’. 

“I’ve been with my son for the last 10 weeks and the training has just gone absolutely the best it could ever have been,” Benn Sr said on Instagram. “I love my son. I know he don’t [sic] cut no corners, he just goes straight at it, 100 per cent. He’s a faithful trainer and a clean athlete.”

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