‘I can’t say too much’ – Full timeline as Conor Benn’s positive drugs tests investigation is delayed and boxing comeback remains on hold
The situation surrounding Conor Benn's positive drugs tests is still far from being resolved.
Despite several months having now passed since the 26-year-old welterweight contender was first found to have a banned substance in his system, the ever-divided powers that be in boxing are running two separate investigations with little public clarity as to what is actually going on behind the scenes.
To try to understand the situation fully, it helps to go back to the beginning of last year.
At this point, Benn had just beaten Chris Algieri and was deemed worthy of a place in the WBC (World Boxing Council) welterweight rankings.
However, on January 19, 2022 the WBC put out a statement announcing that Benn had been removed from these rankings along with four other fighters as they had all not registered for the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program.
This is the WBC's own drugs testing program (in co-operation with testing agency VADA - Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) which they insist all boxers in their rankings must be signed up to.
The program does not have unlimited funding and so can only carry out sporadic tests, but is still deserving of credit given that the WBA, IBF and WBO each have no such equivalent.
Three days later, on January 22, 2022, Benn put out a public statement confirming that he'd instructed his team to correct the error and enrol him in the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program. As a result, he was subsequently reinstated into the WBC's rankings.
The reason this is relevant to the current situation is because it was under the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program that Benn was randomly tested six months later on July 25, 2022.
Benn's ill-fated fight with Chris Eubank Jr was then finalised and officially announced on August 9, 2022.
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A few weeks later, in late August (exact date unknown), the result came back from VADA - Benn had tested positive for clomifene.
Clomifene is primarily used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate. It is a banned substance because it can double as a performance-enhancer by increasing testosterone in men.
As this was a test taken solely through Benn's own enrolment into the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program, he and his team were made aware of it at the time, but Eubank Jr was not notified.
Eubank Jr later confirmed he wasn't told about the first test until the second one came back.
When Eubank Jr and Benn signed to face one another, they both also agreed to independent VADA testing specifically for their fight, which was separate from the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program.
The reason for doing this in big fights is to ensure consistent VADA testing takes place for both men while they're in camp, as opposed to the sporadic occasional testing under the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program.
On September 1, 2022, Benn took a VADA test under this independent fight specific testing for the Eubank Jr bout.
On September 23, 2022, just 15 days before the fight, the result came back from VADA - Benn had once again tested positive for clomifene.
This time however, as both men signed up together, Eubank Jr's camp were also informed.
After speaking to Benn personally on the phone and receiving independent medical advice, Eubank Jr decided that he wanted to proceed with the fight.
On fight week itself though, October 5, 2022, the news of a positive test leaked to the media and the BBBofC (British Boxing Board of Control) prohibited the bout from taking place.
Promoters Eddie Hearn (representing Benn) and Kalle Sauerland (representing Eubank Jr) ultimately accepted this decision, but were both seriously unhappy with the BBBofC for not making a clear decision sooner.
In the aftermath, Benn gave an interview in which he confirmed publicly that he'd tested positive twice.
Benn’s defence is that he ingested the banned substance by accidental contamination, as opposed to using it to deliberately cheat - there are links between clomifene and heavy consumption of chicken eggs.
As it stands, the situation is currently being investigated separately by the WBC and by the BBBofC/UKAD– this is because one of Benn’s positive tests was through the WBC’s VADA Clean Boxing Program and the other was through the fight specific VADA testing separate to the WBC.
Benn is not suspended by any organisation and is free to fight right now if he so pleases.
However, his team and particularly promoter Hearn have stated that they want a result from one of the investigations before scheduling the welterweight's return.
According to Hearn, the WBC's investigation should be the one adhered to and he has in recent weeks put far less emphasis on the BBBofC/UKAD investigation.
On October 26, 2022, the BBBofC released a statement announcing that Benn had opted not to renew his licence with them prior to a hearing that day at which the board upheld misconduct allegations against him.
The exact nature of these misconduct allegations was never made public, but Benn responded with a statement in which he insisted they were not in relation to his positive drugs tests.
Benn went on to tell SunSport: "I won’t be boxing under the British Board ever again. I will not box for them ever again.
"The way they have gone about this. The way they knew about this. They could have pulled the fight. I’ve given my licence back. I won’t be boxing for them ever again.
“As far as I’m concerned the board can do one. I’ve got nothing to hide, but as far as I’m concerned they’ve got it in for me."
Now, the situation is almost at a stalemate.
Benn and his team are co-operating with the WBC's investigation and on December 17, 2022, it was reported that they'd provided the sanctioning body with a 270-page document fighting the case for his innocence.
On January 21, 2023, BBBofC chief Robert Smith told Gareth A Davies that they had not received the same co-operation with their investigation as they had not seen this document.
Smith also stressed the point that the WBC do not licence boxers.
This means they cannot issue Benn with a definitive ban from boxing and only have the power to ban him from their own WBC title fights and WBC rankings.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman clarified this himself as well, also stating that their investigation is solely looking at the single test which took place under the WBC's VADA Clean Boxing Program rather than looking at both positive tests together.
Regardless, this is the investigation Benn and Hearn are most actively discussing in public and pushing for a resolution on.
Sulaiman told the Telegraph on December 17, 2022: "We have the document which is 270 pages long.
"We have a special committee with experts in different areas that will go through it and will make the full investigation...
"But let me be clear, this matter is only and exclusively for the WBC, it has nothing to do with the Boxing Board [investigation] and UKAD.
"This is only regarding where the boxer stands with the WBC test and whether he is ranked with us."
In contrast, BBBofC chief Robert Smith told Gareth A Davies on January 21, 2023: "Well obviously I can't say too much because there's a lot of legal things going on.
"However, the information we require, we haven't received. For whatever reason Mr Benn's legal team have decided.
"We're waiting - I understand they've sent a document to the WBC, we have not seen that document.
"The WBC do not licence boxers, they just sanction championship fights.
"If that's the way they want to go, it doesn't make any difference to us.
"We will wait to see what they say, but we will do our own investigation when we get the information we require."
On January 23, 2023, Hearn did address the BBBofC/UKAD investigation, but again publicly prioritised the WBC probe.
He told iFL TV: "The [WBC] investigation has been underway since the beginning of December, we have provided all the information required, we would like a decision.
"I don't want Conor to fight without the hearing...
"Sooner or later his career is going to resume, whether it's off the back of a ban, whether it's being found completely innocent.
"We just want that decision because the WBC are saying to us, 'Conor Benn is clear to fight.' He can fight next week, but we want the results to come out."
Hearn insisted: "This is a test done by VADA and the WBC - they govern this test, not the British Boxing Board of Control. We want a hearing with the people who control this testing.
"If the British Boxing Board of Control want answers, want information, yeah, I don't see a problem with that.
"But first things first, we are going through the correct process to deal with the people who conducted this test and the governing body who oversee it."
Asked if Benn will fight with a BBBofC licence when he returns, Hearn answered: "He can fight anywhere. He can be apply for a licence with Nevada, with New York, with the British Boxing Board of Control, anyone he wishes to.
"A lot of high-profile fighters in this country aren't licenced by the British Boxing Board of Control.
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"We wanna fight in this country. Ultimately if Conor Benn's next fight has to be in the States or wherever, okay. But the future for Conor Benn, for me, he's a British fighter, I want him to fight here."
Time will tell whether this is possible once both investigations have concluded.