Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn, and Conor Benn’s promoter, has come out with extreme falsehoods surrounding the conflict between Benn and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) and UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). Despite the two organizations still having a joint pending case against Benn, Hearn has maintained that Benn has been cleared of any charges of intentional steroid abuse―which at best is misconception on the promoter’s part as the very decision by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADP) that supposedly cleared Bennis is still being disputed by the BBBofC and UKAD.
Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KO’s) is set to face American super welterweight contender Peter Dobson (16-0, 9 KO’s) on Saturday, February 3, and most notably the fight is being held in America because Benn was denied a British license to fight in his own country. Though UKAD and the BBBofC have taken an extraordinarily long time to appeal NADP’s decision to clear Conor Benn of intentional doping last year, the BBBofC has made it clear that Benn would not be fighting in the UK as long as the appeal stood.
Eddie Hearn, however, seems to deliberately or incidentally misinterpret the facts surrounding Benn’s case, and has continued with his assertion that Benn is cleared; claims he has made since last year.
“He’s [Conor Benn] cleared. He went before the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD, and won the case,” Hearn claimed during an interview with FightHype.
“So he was suspended, and they turned around and said, ‘you’ve won the case. We have to lift your suspension. You are no longer suspended, which means you are cleared to fight’.“
Hearn’s comments may across as egregious given he has seemingly purposefully confused the facts surrounding the Benn’s case. As stated before, Benn was cleared by the NADP of intentional doping which lifted the suspension UKAD and the BBBofC had imposed on him, but the same aforementioned British organizations are currently still in the process of appealing the NADP’s decision.
The very fact that the BBBofC is denying Conor Benn a British boxing license already signifies that the former welterweight contender has yet to fully absolve himself from any wrongdoing, yet Hearn continues to maintain that Benn is completely in the clear. Though few to no updates have arrived on UKAD’s and BBBofC’s appeal―due to the highly-confidential surrounding this appeal process, the UKAD had made their stance on this matter clear in a public release last year in August.
“As confirmed previously in UKAD’s statement on 28 July 2023, Mr. Benn is no longer subject to a provisional suspension,” UKAD stated on August 17th, 2023.
“The appeal process will now be followed in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules. UKAD issues this statement in accordance with Article 14.3.4 of the World Anti-Doping Code and is not able to make any further public disclosures at this time.”
While the UKAD did confirm the lifting of the suspension they imposed on Benn previously, neither the BBBofC or UKAD have affirmed that their appeal process was off, indicating that the process is still in motion.
Ironically, Hearn himself not only confirmed that this appeal was still in the works during his interview, but further revealed when the appeal was going to launched.
“He’s [Conor Ben] cleared to fight anywhere in the world, but the British Boxing Board of Control said, ‘we’re not going to allow you to fight’,” Hearn stated.
“There’s an appeal coming in February, but [the] Las Vegas Commission [Nevada State Athletic Commission]… there is not one commission in the world that would not allow Conor Benn to fight. The British Boxing Board of Control have a bee in a bonnet because they lost the case.“
To clarify, the BBBofC or UKAD did not lose any case. Their suspension on Benn had held until the NADP’s decision resulted in this suspension being lifted. However, the lifting of Benn’s suspension does not mean either of the two organizations lost any case; it simply means that another governing or anti-doping body ruled over the suspension based on their own observations regarding Benn’s case. Given an appeal by UKAD/BBBofC is set to occur this month―as revealed by Hearn himself, Hearn only appears disingenuous in regards to the information he relays to the public.
As of now, Conor Benn will headline alongside Peter Dobson in a Matchroom-promoted card set to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, but if the appeal by UKAD and BBBofC proves to be successful, Benn will still likely face heavy repercussions for alleged doping, including a reinstatement of the suspension that had been imposed on him last year. Depending on the nature of the appeal, there is even a chance Benn might be banned from the sport altogether for a period that can last for several years; which would prevent him from fighting anywhere.
