Conor Benn's scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr at The O2 on October 8 was called off and "prohibited" by the BBBoC after a Benn test revealed "adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug"
Wednesday 26 October 2022 23:03, UK
Conor Benn has relinquished his British boxing licence and a hearing on October 21 upheld "allegations of misconduct", the British Boxing Board of Control has said.
Benn, however, has criticised the "unfair and biased" procedure from the BBBoC, and says the misconduct allegation was not in relation to a failed drugs test ahead of his cancelled clash with Chris Eubank Jr.
It was revealed just days before the scheduled catchweight fight, which was due to take place on October 8, an "adverse analytical finding for trace amounts of a fertility drug" had shown up in one of Benn's tests by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
The BBBoC 'prohibited' the bout against Eubank Jr, which was due to take place at The O2, stating the fight was "not in the interests of boxing".
A statement, released by the BBBoC on Wednesday, read: "Conor Benn was called by the Board of the BBBofC to attend a hearing to deal with allegations of misconduct pursuant to Rule 25.1.1. The hearing took place on 21st October 2022. On the morning of the hearing, Mr. Benn voluntarily relinquished his licence with the BBBofC.
"In accordance with its Rules and Regulations, the Board determined the allegations following the hearing at which Mr. Benn was legally represented.
"The allegations of misconduct against Mr. Benn were upheld."
But Benn released a statement later on Wednesday saying: "Conor's focus at this time is solely on clearing his name.
"The board, however, has made it extremely difficult for Conor to focus on doing that by its conduct of an unfair and biased procedure. In such circumstances, Conor decided not to renew his licence (which had lapsed). Conor told the Board that if it did not accept that his licence had lapsed, then he renounces it.
"He strongly refutes the allegation of misconduct (which for the avoidance of doubt is *not* in relation to the VADA issue) and firmly believes that an independent tribunal will reach a wholly different conclusion.
"At an appropriate time Conor will speak out on this and on the doping allegation, to the extent that he can whilst legal proceedings are ongoing. In the meantime he reiterates, in no uncertain terms, that he is a clean athlete."
Earlier in October, former middleweight world champion Nigel Benn defended his son, Conor, after the postponement of the fight and insisted he was 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 in an Instagram video on Friday. "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."
Benn himself appeared to take a swipe at the media's coverage of the UKAD investigation via his Instagram story on October 7, where he shared a famous quote by human rights activist Malcolm X.
The quote says: "The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."
