Chris Eunbank Jr and Conor Benn are hoping to finalise a deal to belatedly secure their grudge match – despite the ongoing legal situation tied to the latter’s two failed drugs tests.
Benn and Eubank had initially signed to fight last October before the showdown was scrapped when Benn’s two positive tests for clomifene came to light.
However, in September, the 27-year-old was cleared by UKAD and was seemingly told that he was free to fight in the UK once again.
Mail Sport revealed this week that only minor details on Eubank’s side are yet to be resolved, with an announcement believed to be imminent for a bout that will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 3.
However, a spanner was thrown into the works after reports that Benn’s application to fight was rejected by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Here, Mail Sport looks at all of the issues that have held up one of British boxing’s most highly-anticipated bouts.
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are hoping to finalise a deal to secure their grudge match
Promoter Eddie Hearn has been keen to get the fight booked despite the ongoing legal battle surrounding Benn’s two failed drugs tests
Hearn has revealed plans to stage the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next year
Eubank and Benn were initially scheduled to fight in October last year before the latter submitted two positive VADA drugs tests prior to the proposed bout.
The pair had been set to renew an old family feud stretching back decades when their highly anticipated bout was scheduled in 2022.
The promoters of both fighters tried to keep the fight on, but when lawyers failed to obtain a High Court injunction the fight was shelved.
Throughout the investigation, Benn maintained his innocence and spent ‘hundreds and thousands’ on scientists to clear his name after traces of clomiphene were found in his samples.
During an interview with Mail Sport last month, Benn revealed he had struggled to come to terms with the fact people will always associate his name with last year’s positive drug tests and revealed how his father slumped into deep depression during the height of his clomifene case.
When asked how he felt about the fact people will always associate his name with the adverse finding, Benn said: ‘You know what, it was really hard for me to accept at one stage. I was thinking, I don’t even want to fight. If this is how it’s going to be, I don’t even want to fight.
‘It took my love away from boxing. From everything. The quicker you come to terms with it, the quicker you accept it, this is what it is. If I could change the testing that they do for clomifene, then in the end, it will be have been worth it.
‘I still wanted to work with UKAD, irrelevant of the outside. I am willing to work with them and that goes without saying. I wouldn’t have spent all this money, hundreds of thousands on legal fees and scientists for nothing’.
Benn revealed the mental battles that came following his two positive drug test results
A provisional suspension imposed on Benn by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) was lifted by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel in July
To his delight, a provisional suspension imposed by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) was lifted by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel in July this year.
It allowed Benn to make a return to boxing in Orlando in September – after a seven-month hiatus – where he cruised to a unanimous-decision points victory over Rodolfo Orozco.
Benn was free to get his career back up and running over in the States, meaning promoter Eddie Hearn found room for him on DAZN’s Richardson Hitchins vs Jose Zepeda card in Orlando.
However, UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control decided to lodge an appeal against the decision made by the National Anti-Doping Panel.
Mail Sport understands an appeal may not be heard, let alone resolved, until December or January at the earliest.
However, Hearn remains keen on Benn being able to continue his career in the UK while the process remains ongoing and he is not suspended by UKAD.
So Hearn, earlier this month, said that the fight was likely to take place, after previously revealing hopes the fight could take place in December or January.
The Matchroom Boxing promoter told iFL TV last month: ‘Our side with Conor Benn and the side of Kalle Sauerland and Chris Eubank want to move forward and make that fight.
‘We feel that because of the situation with Conor Benn’s suspension being lifted and winning that case that he should be allowed and able to fight in the UK.
‘We’re speaking to the British Boxing Board of Control. We think legally there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to fight in the UK but it’s their decision.’
The BBBofC’s general secretary Robert Smith (left) insisted several issues are still outstanding
Smith refuted the claims of Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn that he has cleared his name
However, shortly after Hearn’s claims, the BBBoC came out and refuted the suggestion that Benn should had cleared his name and was eligible to fight.
British Boxing chief Robert Smith, talking to talkSPORT, said: ‘Although it’s a sport, we don’t deal with teams, we deal with individuals.
‘And sometimes people look after themselves rather than the sport in general, which is slightly disappointing.
‘I understand why they do it, but no I don’t think he should be boxing. Personally I don’t think he should be boxing until this matter is cleared. Hopefully that’ll be done as soon as possible.’
Smith continued: ‘He hasn’t cleared it (his name), a number of issues are still outstanding which everybody’s aware of.
‘We’ve decided to appeal a decision and once the appeal has taken place we’ll take it on board from there.
‘But when Eddie says he’s cleared his name, according to us we haven’t had an explanation of how the positive test came about, so I don’t quite agree with Eddie on that one.’
Shortly after their statement, Hearn agreed a deal for Benn to fight Eubank Jr in the Middle East on December 23 in the event that Benn was not cleared to box in Britain.
However, in the latest turn of events, Hearn has now revealed that Benn‘s fight with Eubank Jr will most likely take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 3.
Hearn had agreed for a bout between Benn and Eubank Jr to take place in the Middle East amid fears that he would not be allowed to box in the UK
The working target is for the fight to be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium between Spurs’s home games on January 30 and February 10.
And Benn appeared to confirm the date for his grudge clash with Eubank Jr, as the two rivals exchanged words on social media on Monday.
Benn and Eubank exchanged words on X, in which the former appeared to confirm that the fight will take place on Saturday, February 3.
The first shot was taken by Benn who wrote: ‘I can’t wait to punch you in the head @ChrisEubankJr.’
In response, Eubank told Benn that he was a ‘dead man walking’.
Benn fired back: ‘I’ll remind you of this when you are being scraped up off the f*****g canvas. Feb 3 I’m ending your career.’
However, there remains doubt over the fight taking place after TalkSport’s Michael Benson reported that the application has been rejected while the appeal in Benn’s UKAD case is ongoing.
‘The board feel any athlete who has failed a drugs test needs to go through an investigation with the proper authorities and that hasn’t happened,’ BBBC’s Robert Smith is reported to have said.
