Conor Benn’s ‘credibility’ has been eroded following the doping scandal, according to rival Chris Eubank Jr.
Conor Benn’s ‘credibility’ has been eroded following the doping scandal, according to rival Chris Eubank Jr.
According to rival Chris Eubank Jr., Conor Benn lost his “credibility” after failing two voluntary drug tests last year.
A fight between the two Brits scheduled for October was canceled due to the results, though Benn recently stated that his team had “proven” his innocence.
Benn suggested that “contamination” was to blame, but Eubank Jr said that whoever was in their system was ultimately responsible.
“He can’t be the star that everyone was expecting him to be,” he said.
“When you fail a drug test, you lose your aura. “My advice is to embrace the bad boy thing.”
Benn “can’t be the golden boy” anymore, according to Eubank, and should apologize regardless of what caused the failed tests.
“You have control over what goes into your system,” Eubank Jr. added. “If you make the error, you are guilty. I’ve never made the error.”
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Benn, 26, tested positive for the banned substance clomifene twice in the run-up to his fight with Eubank Jr last October.
Clomifene, which can be used to increase testosterone levels in men, is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency both inside and outside of competition (Wada).
Conor Benn, the son of former world champion Nigel Benn, has repeatedly denied taking performance-enhancing drugs on purpose, but has yet to provide public proof of his innocence.
However, Eubank Jr believes Benn should apologize because people “lost so much money, time, and effort” as a result of the first fight’s cancellation.
“You have to hope that people will start to come around,” he said.
But he warned Benn had “a long way to go”.
“You’re approaching it incorrectly if you’re playing the victim and attempting to prove your innocence after four months,” he added.
“He’s going to have to play the bad guy. I, too, was the bad guy.
“Perhaps I’m still the bad guy. I’ve been doing it for ten years, walking into arenas and being booed, spat at, drinks thrown, and online trolled.
“I had to accept that role. I was never the protagonist. I’d go into men’s yards and towns where they didn’t want me to win. And that appears to be what he will have to do.”
The WBC (World Boxing Council) and the UK Anti-Doping Agency (Ukad) are investigating the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vadafailed )’s drug tests, but the results of those cases have yet to be released.
‘The battle is much bigger.’
During a press conference, Chris Eubank and Conor Benn face each other.
Last October, Chris Eubank and Conor Benn were scheduled to fight at a catchweight.
Regardless of the ongoing controversy, Eubank believes the fight with Benn will take place in the future.
Benn versus Eubank was inspired by their fathers, Nigel and Chris, who had a fierce rivalry in the 1990s. The fathers fought twice, with the rematch in 1993 ending in a contentious draw.
Eubank Jr, a middleweight, was willing to cut down to 157 pounds for the original fight but insists he will not do so again.
“Conor has lost all of his privileges,” he explained.
After the controversy, Eubank Jr, who fights Liam Smith this Saturday in Manchester, believes a fight between him and Benn could potentially fill a major venue.
“If and when the fight takes place, whether it’s next year, two years, or five years from now,” he added.
“We now have our own story. We now have our own reasons for wanting to fight in that ring.
“He has done me wrong in terms of how he handled this whole thing. Conor Benn has lost my respect. I used to be neutral.”
“That means the story, the narrative, and the fight are much bigger and more real.”
