Most boxing fans had probably managed to make it through their entire lives without hearing about the drug clomifene.
That all changed 15 months ago when news broke that Conor Benn had failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) test for the banned substance.
The failure caused the late cancellation of Benn’s hyped catchweight fight with Chris Eubank Jnr. and began a protracted, bitter saga which continues to rumble on.
The whole rigmarole has irreversibly altered Benn’s attitude towards the drug testing process and the way failed tests are reported.
Last July, Benn had his provisional suspension lifted after a ruling by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) – a decision which was appealed by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) – but remains unlicensed in Britain after his application to fight Eubank Jnr was refused by the governing body, who do not consider the investigation to be complete until the appeal has been heard.
For that reason, on February 3rd, Benn will make his second consecutive appearance in America when he faces unbeaten New Yorker, Peter Dobson, at welterweight in Las Vegas.
Benn returned to action last September, grinding out a unanimous decision victory over Rodolfo Orozco in Orlando. In a strange twist of fate, Orozco would fail a drug test of his own after the ten round fight.
Benn continues to protest his innocence and although he still insists that his own costly investigations and apparent dossier of evidence will eventually lead to his vindication, he acknowledges that the stigma of his failed tests will follow him around for the rest of his career. A fact that prevents him from castigating Orozco until he sees undeniable proof that the Mexican cheated.
“Science doesn’t lie. For me, I can’t jump the gun with it. It has changed my views massively because whenever someone said they’d failed a test I’d be like, ‘Yeah, alright. No smoke without fire, mate.” That was how I used to think of it before whereas now it’s like, ‘Cool, benefit of the doubt.’ Wait till you see the science,” Benn told BoxingScene.com.
“They can solve murder cases from 50 years ago through science. Are you telling me they can’t tell if there’s any abnormalities in my body over the past six months or past year? That’s where science always tells the truth.
“I spent fortunes on scientists, flying them out to America and in from Germany. Again, science don’t lie.
“I’m praying my opponent is innocent but who knows. But I do believe the benefit of the doubt should be given.”
Benn v Dobson will air live worldwide on DAZN – with Benn headlining early afternoon in Las Vegas for prime time viewing in the UK.