Conor Benn Vows To Get To The Bottom Of Failed Drug Test And Prove Innocence
Conor Benn says he vows to prove his innocence for the failed drug tests.
Benn was supposed to face Chris Eubank Jr. but he tested positive for clomiphene and despite that he says he is a clean athlete, even though he failed two drug tests.
“Why would I take the biggest fight of my life and then use this substance?” Benn said to The Times (via BoxingScene). “If you Google this substance it stays in your system for months. And yet I’m going to take it knowing I’m going to be tested in the build-up to this fight? Do I look like an idiot? It doesn’t make any sense. Why would I take something then? Do I look like a guy who would do that?”
Conor Benn has hired an expert team that found ‘a week of contamination’ and also claims ‘the tiniest traces were found… traces so low there was no performance benefit.’
“It’s crazy, man, because the public have already made up their mind. It does feel like a trial by media when I’ve not done anything wrong. I just want people to wait, take a step back and wait for the science, wait for the evidence, wait for the actual proof of what this is,” Benn continued. “The only thing I can think is contamination. The science will prove that. I’ve got the best scientists on this. I am spending a lot of money trying to prove my innocence here. A lot of money [he indicates more than £100,000]. You are talking about me really trying to prove my innocence and get to the bottom of what has happened here.”
Now, once he can prove his innocence, Conor Benn says he will never fight under the British Boxing Board of Control.
“The Board can do one. I’ve actually not been charged or been found guilty of anything yet. Other fighters test positive for steroids and get cleared to fight — it feels like they’ve got it in for me. I won’t be boxing under the British board ever again,” Benn said. “Now I know why my dad (Nigel, the former two-weight world champion) ripped up his license on TV. The way they have gone about this. The way they knew about this. They could have pulled the fight. I’ve given my license back. The fact that people have been so quick to jump to conclusions on this has hurt me. I’ve never been hurt like this.”
Do you think Conor Benn will be able to prove his innocence?