Welterweight Conor Benn caused further outrage among British fans following the boxer’s appearance on Good Morning Britain.
As Benn gears up to fight in Las Vegas due to being unable to obtain a UK license, “The Destroyer” went on a charm offensive.
The undefeated star hopes to alter public perception after being flagged for a banned substance in two separate tests.
Benn and his legal team appealed a provisional suspension. However, the UK Anti-Doping Agency appealed the removal of the temporary ban.
This situation led the British Boxing Board of Control to deny Benn approval to fight and state publicly he shouldn’t be fighting.
Despite the UK stance, this hasn’t stopped his promoter Eddie Hearn. The Matchroom boss has since lined up a second United States event for Benn while the appeal is ongoing.
The second of those takes place on February 3 in Las Vegas.
During the build-up, Benn again vowed to ‘prove his innocence’ despite continually stating he’s already been cleared due to a WBC rankings reprieve and the successful suspension appeal.
Conor Benn interview
“I’m willing to spend every last penny I have and fight to the death to prove my innocence,” he told GMB. “My name matters more to me than anything else.
“Fighting is fighting, but your name stands forever. So, for me, it’s been hard and challenging, but I’ve got a good team around me.
“There are many things I’ve gone through in my life, but this is probably one of the worst things. I wouldn’t wish this upon my worst enemy.”
Posting the interview on social channels, GMB caused a backlash in its description of the conversation.
They said: “After failing two drug tests in the lead-up to his canceled mega-fight with Chris Eubank Jr, Conor Benn’s future was thrown into jeopardy.
“The National Anti-Doping Panel has now cleared Conor Benn. Conor explains the effect this had on his mental health.”
UK backlash
UK fans responded as the majority of comments were negative. The first comment said: “He’s not been cleared. Do your research.”
Another added: “His team successfully argued UKAD had no jurisdiction over a VADA test- That’s not cleared. He failed two tests, and UKAD is appealing. Facts would be nice.”
A third stated: “Cleared” is a bit of a stretch. Still, there was no explanation for the failed tests, choosing to hunt for loopholes instead. Still not done enough to get his license back with BBBofC.”
Even if he’s eventually cleared to fight in the UK due to serving time out by default, Benn faces a daunting task to win around some of those UK detractors.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
