Conor Benn’s future is expected to become clearer next month with Eddie Hearn insisting his determination to prove his innocence has placed his career in limbo.
Benn is currently suspended for failing two voluntary drug tests while preparing for his clash with Chris Eubank Jr in October 2022, forcing the cancellation of the all-British showdown.
The unbeaten 27-year-old blames contamination for the presence of banned substance clomifene in his samples but in May, UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control successfully appealed against an independent tribunal’s decision to lift his ban.
Aside from victories over Rodolfo Orozco a year ago and Peter Dobson in February – both in the US – Benn has been inactive. But Hearn hopes he will soon be able to start planning his UK comeback.
“Conor’s in talks with his lawyers, the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD. We’ll know more in early October how that will play out,” Matchroom promoter Hearn said.
“We’ve had a lot of questions asking why doesn’t he just take a two-year ban. But to Conor’s detriment he’s never wanted to concede a ban because he believes in his innocence. He’s never wanted to do a deal and it’s cost him time.
“If he’d gone to UKAD and said ‘I haven’t taken this, here’s the proof of how it got into my system, levels and other tests around it’, they probably would have gone ‘right, two-year ban’ and he’d have been fighting a couple of months ago.
“It’s very frustrating. At this stage, not that the fight has been knocked out of him or us, but just get on with it.
“I’m hoping now they will have some sensible conversations because it’s been over two years since this happened.
“We want a date because it’s really difficult to plan. If there’s resolution, I can book the fight and get it made.
“The frustration for us is not knowing and that’s what we hope will come to an end during the next months or so.”
Hearn views Benn, son of British middleweight great Nigel, as British boxing’s biggest draw outside of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua with the pulling power to headline at Wembley.
When he is given the green light to fight again, he will have only one opponent on his mind.
“Our instructions from Conor are clear – our next fight is the biggest fight we can make. That fight is Eubank,” Hearn said.
“When his fight against Eubank gets announced and the build-up begins, it’s an absolute monster.”
