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In a stunning interview with The Sun, welterweight contender Conor Benn openly admitted that he failed “two” VADA drug tests – tests that were months apart.
Earlier this month, Benn was scheduled to face Chris Eubank Jr. in a catch-weight bout. The fight was canceled a few days before the fight, when it was revealed by the Daily Mail that Benn had tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. The British Boxing Board of Control prohibited the fight from taking place – which ultimately led to the fighting being called off.
Last week, Benn’s representatives appeared at a hearing with the British Boxing Board of Control and the boxer relinquished his license to box.
Benn is now under investigation by UK-Anti Doping and the BBBoC.
Confirming details from a recent Daily Mail report, Benn disclosed during his interview with The Sun, that he tested positive for trace amounts of female fertility drug clomifene in his urine from drug tests administered by VADA on July 25 and September 1.
The Sun reports that Benn has refused to allow the BBBoC to share his data, as there is an ongoing dispute regarding the confidentiality and jurisdiction of his VADA tests.
“I wouldn’t want to fight without this being resolved. But should I really care about playing the system? I do, so I wouldn’t. But part of me thinks, if people are portraying me as the villain, I might as well be the villain. I haven’t really decided yet,” Benn said to The Sun.
“I won’t fight until this is resolved, with a foreign license or not. Whether people believe it or not is not down to me. But there comes a stage where you harden and think, ‘Eff you, then’. I don’t want to get to there but I also don’t want to keep getting hurt by this. It’s horrible dealing with this at 26 after working so hard every day.
“I wonder if I can ever fight again right now. But I cannot let them win. I could get fit enough, I could just compartmentalise, switch off and focus on the training. But I didn’t want to be the villain because I am innocent. I just want my innocence to be proven. I don’t care about the Board. I could fight in another county in February — but I don’t want to do that because it looks like I am running away. I hope this is well cleared up by then. It baffles me that people think I have cheated after seeing me on TV for so long, what I am like with my team, family and dad. Am I serial liar?”
The paper reports that a VADA test taken on July 25 came back with an adverse finding near the end of August. Benn’s camp felt the test result was some type of accident or error. The second test was taken on September 1, with the positive test result coming down on September 23 for the same substance clomifene, which is used by men to raise testosterone levels.
“I was informed (of the first fail) and I thought, ‘It’s probably a faulty test’. I thought, ‘We’ll get to the bottom of it’. We’re still trying to do that. We’re making progress,” Benn said.
“But the way it’s been blown up has affected me so much. My innocence will be proven. It has to be. I passed all my UKAD tests, which people aren’t talking about. I’ve passed all my tests in and out of camp. I’ve been a professional for seven years and never failed a test.
“I signed up to VADA in February, so it doesn’t make any sense. Why would I take something then? Trace amounts were found. The tiniest of traces. The only thing I can think of is contamination.” Trace amounts were found. The tiniest of traces. The only thing I can think of is contamination. I’ve not taken anything. I never have done, never would. It’s not what I stand for, it’s not what my team stands for. Why would I take the biggest fight of my life, sign up to VADA voluntary anti-doping and then take this substance? If you Google this substance, it stays in your system for months. Do I look like an idiot?”