Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn | PPV - 26 April 2025

[Frostieballs]

To me, Benn giving up his license is totally a PR motivated stunt. Hearn will push the content that Benn was never “actually suspended or stripped at any point” and when the WBC, or whoever else, give him a backdated ban of 12 months from the first test failure he will be back like nothing has happened.

Yes totally. Made all the more cynical by him bringing their treatment of his dad into it. You’ve failed TWO tests FFS

[maverick23]

Ignore - I fell for a clickbait headline.

[Loynesy]

Boxing is a shambles because it's not actually regulated under any legal basis.

Don't want to patronise anyone, but if you don't mind may I set out the legal analysis (I know we have other lawyers on the board, so please feel free to comment/contradict)

1. If Connor Benn and I had a fight in a car park (suspect it might be a short one), then one of us would be arrested for assault or probably something worse. (Sorry Connor). His drug or non drug status wouldn't make a difference.

2. There is no legal basis or framework for allowing consensual human beings to engage in combat in the U.K. - as stated below, you can consent to be trespassed in a sporting context, but that was meant in the context of football, rugby, cricket etc Its actually just the opposite - you can't consent to be assaulted under English law under the assault against the person common law principle. (for obvious reasons as it would give carte Blanche to proponents of domestic violence).

3. So since the early days of bare knuckle fights (going back to the 14th century) and then into the Marquee of Queensbury era, consensual combat has not been prosecuted but under no legal basis.

4. The BBBoC was founded in 1929 to provide an umbrella for professional fighting. It's now evolved into the giver of licences for boxers, promoters and managers.

5. They matter because they arrange legal insurance and on-hand medical care and both are vital. The case of Watson v BBBoC was groundbreaking. As it was stated by Lord Justice Phillips

"It noted that the BBBC had taken control of medically supervising the sport, and that the duty of care was not just to avoid injuries, but "to ensure that injuries already sustained are properly treated".

This was an extension to the previous duty of care under negligence, and also serves as an exception to the rule under trespass to the person that a defendant will not be liable for personal harm caused in sporting matches which the claimant consents to,

6. Conclusion - it's just a mish mash. The Board need to ensure they are not going to be sued again as per Watson (incidentally I think he was 100% correct legally and morally), so I'm amazed they didn't immediately un-sanction a fight when they knew about a positive test as it would vitiate all their insurances.

Longest post if ever done!

[Spud]

In my opinion confidence is growing concerning the outcome of the Conor Benn saga.

Frank Smith thinks Benn will be back sooner than people think … go to about 5 min 20 sec of clip

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eubank Jr: "Benn Has Gone MIA - if You Have Done Nothing Wrong Then You Don't Hide!"

“I was never told about the first failed drugs test, which is pretty incredible but true,” Eubank said. “Nobody told me, Conor nor Eddie (Hearn), nobody told me.

“In the back of my mind - when I found out he had failed a test - I hoped it might have been a freak accident or something had gone wrong, a blip.

“But when you find out there was a second one, you realize that these guys were really out to get me.

“I was never told about the July test. I would not have accepted the fight at the start of August if I had known that he had failed a test. By the time I did find out it was too late. It was a very bad situation for me and for boxing and the fans.”

“I feel bad for the kid, he has really messed up and he will have to answer for his wrongdoings eventually,” Eubank said.

“He has gone MIA for the last few months and that says it all because if you have done nothing wrong then you don’t hide.

“Before all this he was on Instagram every single day and now nobody knows where he is. It is a bad look and he is going to have to man-up at some point.

“Even if, by some miracle, he is found not guilty, everybody already thinks he cheated. A lawyer, a piece of paper, or the King of England can say he is forgiven, it doesn’t matter, he is guilty in the court of public perception, and he has to accept that. That’s the only way he will be able to move forward.

“If he plays the victim and blames contamination and says everyone has it in for him, if he keeps going down that route, then nobody is going to be able to forgive him.”

“There is no forgetting, and I don’t know about forgiving,” he said.

“That fight is still probably going to happen down the line. I don’t need to have forgiveness in my mind. He is a guy I will fight at some point.

“Before it was about our fathers, we were fighting to uphold our names and legacies. But now it is personal and we have our own story.

“It’s such a British occasion that it would be a shame to not have it in the UK. If it happens, I will always push for it to be here for the fans, if the time comes.”

[Dioufy]

No matter what… Benn will be forever tainted… and that’s the right thing. You have to be diligent with your system if you’re a professional athlete. No excuses.

[Spud]

My guess is a 8 month ban but backdated to date of failed test.

I think I am close.

If innocent Connor Benn will in my opinion go after the BBBofC.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Conor Benn Likely To Find Out His Fate By The End Of The Year

With Conor Benn having disappeared from view (and with plenty of people having grown tired of waiting for the results from the fighter’s B sample; promoter Kalle Sauerland stating back in October how it is “down to Conor Benn to request his B sample is examined”), WBC boss Mauricio Sulaiman has said his organisation will release their “final ruling” on the case before the end of the year.

As fans know, Benn failed two drug tests, this ending his massively hyped fight with Chris Eubank Jr; the fight supposed to have gone down on October 8.

Traces of the female fertility drug clomifene were found in Benn’s system, this despite the unbeaten welterweight adamantly stating that he did nothing intentionally wrong. Sulaiman said to Sky Sports that he “does not want to speculate” on the final findings, saying only that “everything seems to be in line for a good result by the end of this month.”

“The clean boxing programme is running an investigation, and we expect by [the end of] December hopefully we will have a final ruling,” the WBC president said. “We have received good collaboration from Benn and the team. We’re getting all the documentation and then we’ll soon have a meeting with him and come up with a ruling. They have been cooperative and everything seems to be in line for a good result at the end of this month. I don’t like to speculate (on what Benn’s punishment might be if he is found to be guilty). It would be irresponsible of me to say something that could be interpreted wrong. We’re doing the investigation, the protocols are public and on the WBC website, where the scenarios are outlined.”

Benn, if he is found guilty, could be banned from boxing anywhere from six months to three years. Fans may ask why it has taken so long for the “final ruling” to be reached. Again, Benn and his whole team cry innocence, yet for some people the damage has been done. It seems we will never know if Benn knowingly cheated or not.

Let’s now wait for the final ruling. However, in the minds of a good many people, the final result will not change much if anything.

[olij999]

Boxing is a shambles because it's not actually regulated under any legal basis.

Don't want to patronise anyone, but if you don't mind may I set out the legal analysis (I know we have other lawyers on the board, so please feel free to comment/contradict)

1. If Connor Benn and I had a fight in a car park (suspect it might be a short one), then one of us would be arrested for assault or probably something worse. (Sorry Connor). His drug or non drug status wouldn't make a difference.

2. There is no legal basis or framework for allowing consensual human beings to engage in combat in the U.K. - as stated below, you can consent to be trespassed in a sporting context, but that was meant in the context of football, rugby, cricket etc Its actually just the opposite - you can't consent to be assaulted under English law under the assault against the person common law principle. (for obvious reasons as it would give carte Blanche to proponents of domestic violence).

3. So since the early days of bare knuckle fights (going back to the 14th century) and then into the Marquee of Queensbury era, consensual combat has not been prosecuted but under no legal basis.

4. The BBBoC was founded in 1929 to provide an umbrella for professional fighting. It's now evolved into the giver of licences for boxers, promoters and managers.

5. They matter because they arrange legal insurance and on-hand medical care and both are vital. The case of Watson v BBBoC was groundbreaking. As it was stated by Lord Justice Phillips

"It noted that the BBBC had taken control of medically supervising the sport, and that the duty of care was not just to avoid injuries, but "to ensure that injuries already sustained are properly treated".

This was an extension to the previous duty of care under negligence, and also serves as an exception to the rule under trespass to the person that a defendant will not be liable for personal harm caused in sporting matches which the claimant consents to,

6. Conclusion - it's just a mish mash. The Board need to ensure they are not going to be sued again as per Watson (incidentally I think he was 100% correct legally and morally), so I'm amazed they didn't immediately un-sanction a fight when they knew about a positive test as it would vitiate all their insurances.

Longest post if ever done!

Excellent post! Matches the sentiments of the Master of the Rolls in Watson v BBBofC, who said in 2001 - "Since 1929 the board has been and continues to be the sole controlling body regulating professional boxing in the United Kingdom. There is no statutory basis for this. The board's authority is essentially based upon the consent of the boxing world." Which is a pretty fragile basis for authority.

[margaret thatcher]

Conor Benn Likely To Find Out His Fate By The End Of The Year

With Conor Benn having disappeared from view (and with plenty of people having grown tired of waiting for the results from the fighter’s B sample; promoter Kalle Sauerland stating back in October how it is “down to Conor Benn to request his B sample is examined”), WBC boss Mauricio Sulaiman has said his organisation will release their “final ruling” on the case before the end of the year.

As fans know, Benn failed two drug tests, this ending his massively hyped fight with Chris Eubank Jr; the fight supposed to have gone down on October 8.

Traces of the female fertility drug clomifene were found in Benn’s system, this despite the unbeaten welterweight adamantly stating that he did nothing intentionally wrong. Sulaiman said to Sky Sports that he “does not want to speculate” on the final findings, saying only that “everything seems to be in line for a good result by the end of this month.”

“The clean boxing programme is running an investigation, and we expect by [the end of] December hopefully we will have a final ruling,” the WBC president said. “We have received good collaboration from Benn and the team. We’re getting all the documentation and then we’ll soon have a meeting with him and come up with a ruling. They have been cooperative and everything seems to be in line for a good result at the end of this month. I don’t like to speculate (on what Benn’s punishment might be if he is found to be guilty). It would be irresponsible of me to say something that could be interpreted wrong. We’re doing the investigation, the protocols are public and on the WBC website, where the scenarios are outlined.”

Benn, if he is found guilty, could be banned from boxing anywhere from six months to three years. Fans may ask why it has taken so long for the “final ruling” to be reached. Again, Benn and his whole team cry innocence, yet for some people the damage has been done. It seems we will never know if Benn knowingly cheated or not.

Let’s now wait for the final ruling. However, in the minds of a good many people, the final result will not change much if anything.

good ol mauricio seems very upbeat about benn

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Dioufy]

Anyone see the picture Richard Poxon posted of Benn in training looking vastly different to the pumped up version of himself a few months back?

Check out big Bellew defending him in the comments.

[Controversial]

Anyone see the picture Richard Poxon posted of Benn in training looking vastly different to the pumped up version of himself a few months back?

Check out big Bellew defending him in the comments.

To be fair he isn't in training for a fight, I'm sure most fighters look different out of training

[Dioufy]

Anyone see the picture Richard Poxon posted of Benn in training looking vastly different to the pumped up version of himself a few months back?

Check out big Bellew defending him in the comments.

To be fair he isn't in training for a fight, I'm sure most fighters look different out of training

He looks a lot different indeed. And tbh… even before when he’s not been in camp he’s still looks shredded.

[Controversial]

Anyone see the picture Richard Poxon posted of Benn in training looking vastly different to the pumped up version of himself a few months back?

Check out big Bellew defending him in the comments.

To be fair he isn't in training for a fight, I'm sure most fighters look different out of training

He looks a lot different indeed. And tbh… even before when he’s not been in camp he’s still looks shredded.

I just think it’s a difficult comparison to make for various reasons, is it a recent photo for one? It’s blurry too, you can hardly see his tattoos. Plus playing devils advocate I’m sure he’s under a lot of stress and probably not been training regularly like he might have done previously.

[Dioufy]

Or maybe he’s off the juice?

[Muttley]

Boxing is a shambles because it's not actually regulated under any legal basis.

Don't want to patronise anyone, but if you don't mind may I set out the legal analysis (I know we have other lawyers on the board, so please feel free to comment/contradict)

1. If Connor Benn and I had a fight in a car park (suspect it might be a short one), then one of us would be arrested for assault or probably something worse. (Sorry Connor). His drug or non drug status wouldn't make a difference.

2. There is no legal basis or framework for allowing consensual human beings to engage in combat in the U.K. - as stated below, you can consent to be trespassed in a sporting context, but that was meant in the context of football, rugby, cricket etc Its actually just the opposite - you can't consent to be assaulted under English law under the assault against the person common law principle. (for obvious reasons as it would give carte Blanche to proponents of domestic violence).

3. So since the early days of bare knuckle fights (going back to the 14th century) and then into the Marquee of Queensbury era, consensual combat has not been prosecuted but under no legal basis.

4. The BBBoC was founded in 1929 to provide an umbrella for professional fighting. It's now evolved into the giver of licences for boxers, promoters and managers.

5. They matter because they arrange legal insurance and on-hand medical care and both are vital. The case of Watson v BBBoC was groundbreaking. As it was stated by Lord Justice Phillips

"It noted that the BBBC had taken control of medically supervising the sport, and that the duty of care was not just to avoid injuries, but "to ensure that injuries already sustained are properly treated".

This was an extension to the previous duty of care under negligence, and also serves as an exception to the rule under trespass to the person that a defendant will not be liable for personal harm caused in sporting matches which the claimant consents to,

6. Conclusion - it's just a mish mash. The Board need to ensure they are not going to be sued again as per Watson (incidentally I think he was 100% correct legally and morally), so I'm amazed they didn't immediately un-sanction a fight when they knew about a positive test as it would vitiate all their insurances.

Longest post if ever done!

Excellent post! Matches the sentiments of the Master of the Rolls in Watson v BBBofC, who said in 2001 - "Since 1929 the board has been and continues to be the sole controlling body regulating professional boxing in the United Kingdom. There is no statutory basis for this. The board's authority is essentially based upon the consent of the boxing world." Which is a pretty fragile basis for authority.

I agree which is why I have always said, if a boxer,trainer,promoter is not happy with the board then start another one. the BBBOC has not been fit for purpose for years. I see all these licence holders moaning about something or other week in week out but they all seem to keep renewing their licence fees. why would you keep paying for something that keeps shafting you?

[Glass Joe]

[CaptainSpacerod]

Disgraceful self serving self pitying guff. Hopefully the public turn their back on this charlatan and he doesn’t make another penny from the game

[Boxerbeetle]

If he ever wants to fight again, he should be made to test every day of every future training camp and foot the bill himself. We’ll soon see if he’s genuinely clean. Be very interesting to see if he goes back to looking as average as he was at the start of his career.

[Deserter]

Disgraceful self serving self pitying guff.

Yep, I feel it's the way we're all treated as idiots that is particularly galling. Can take some solace from the fact that when he bids to step up in class he'll get a rude awakening.

[coneye]

Disgraceful self serving self pitying guff.

Yep, I feel it's the way we're all treated as idiots that is particularly galling. Can take some solace from the fact that when he bids to step up in class he'll get a rude awakening.

We can certainly hope so ,if Eubank doex,nt do it lets hope he now fights David Adeyleson , i.m sure he will oblige Oh and by the way no apology fro me coming his way

[smiling assassin]

Not that he values my opinion of him but I think the geezer is a proper pfick and hope that gets found out sooner rather than later

[qatarm]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/63954227

[Ruthless-RKO]