UK welterweight Conor Benn shared an explosive fact about his return to the WBC Rankings after testing positive twice for a banned substance.
Benn had been quoted as stating he’d eat thirty or more eggs per day during training. However, the undefeated Briton now says he didn’t use that explanation as his defense.
“The Destroyer” benefited from the doubt in a WBC investigation that couldn’t find evidence that Benn had knowingly ingested clomiphene.
In a twist, Benn has since explained why the WBC stated his consumption was the critical factor and not his own doing.
Conor Benn on WBC findings
“I am grateful for the ultimate finding [from the WBC. It was the right decision. It was the only one I was willing to accept,” said Benn.
“The easy option would have been to accept a six-month ban, save me a huge legal bill, and move on. But my reputation and family name are worth more than that.
“My only frustration is the manner in which I’ve been cleared [with a UKAD investigation still ongoing]. It has seemed to create further questions and add further fuel to baseless negative speculation.
“Having now had a chance to digest, I wanted to set out my position in full and explain in the simplest terms possible [as to] why I am innocent.
“As you will have gathered from my posts and comments over the past few months, I have always been extremely confident that I would be cleared. This is because all of the evidence and information that came to light during our investigation into how this happened proves what I already knew – that I am innocent.
“However, because of ongoing legal proceedings, I have been repeatedly advised not to say anything. Keeping silent when I had this evidence in my possession and listening to ignorant, uninformed commentary was one of the hardest parts of this process.
“Even following the WBC’s statement, I could have just said to my team I would not stay silent any longer and have to let the facts be known.”
The egg situation
Delving deeper into his conversations with the WBC over eggs, Benn continued: “In my defense to the WBC and the 270-page report provided to them, at no point did I indicate that I failed any VADA tests because of contaminated eggs.
“As part of its lengthy investigation, the WBC instructed its own experts to review my supplements and diet. They concluded that egg contamination was the most likely cause.
“Those experts have seen this issue arises in elite athletes across other sports. I have no reason to question their analysis when it concludes I am not a cheat.”
Benn’s revelation that the WBC were the ones who suggested the reason for his failed tests is a strange one. Whether that’s a widespread practice with the WBC is unknown.
But previous high-profile cases involving Canelo Alvarez, David Benavidez, and Luis Nery come to mind. They were all WBC champions who quickly got their careers back on track. This raises eyebrows about what those meetings entail.
So far, the WBC has not commented any further on Benn’s case. Those involved await the results of a UK Anti-Doping Agency investigation supervised by the British Boxing Board of Control in association with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency, which administered the tests.
If those findings come back any differently from those of the WBC, Benn could still face problems moving forward.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of experienced boxing writer Phil Jay. Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
