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Conor Benn positive drugs test shafts boxing fans again as the sport is becoming difficult to defend

Conor Benn

A positive drugs test from Conor Benn has emerged mere days before his scheduled fight against Chris Eubank Jr at the O2 Arena on October 8, leaving boxing fans fuming.

Oh boxing, you do not do yourself any favours do you?!

The sport's core group of fans have been left disgruntled in recent weeks after talks for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua dragged on only for it to fall through again.

At one time, it looked like that bout finally was set to happen, with all teams appearing to be on the same page.

But as is usually the case, the rug has been pulled right from under fan optimism with Fury now looking set to face bloody Mahmoud Charr, while AJ fights a different underwhelming adversary.

Coming out of that, boxing had a chance to redeem itself somewhat as the eagerly anticipated legacy fight between Eubank Jr and Benn was on its way.

Much has been made about this fight, with Benn stepping up three weight divisions to make the 157lb catchweight.

This is while Eubank Jr is moving down to a weight, he claims he has not been at since he was a teenager.

The history of this bout made it so many viewers were willing to look past this and enjoy this occasion for what it is; a fantasy fight.

The build-up has been exceptional, with Eubank Jr especially in fine form as he has done everything he can to get into Benn's head.
The anticipation is already at a fever pitch even with the fight still a few days away.
Yet, as it feels like it usually is the case with boxing, people's excitement has been undermined, with Benn returning an adverse drug test.
For those unaware, the substance found in the positive sample is clomifene. This is used by women to aid fertility but for men, it has been found to boost their testosterone.
The follow-on effect of this is that athletes can recover quicker from training sessions and it helps with muscle development.
We are awaiting the findings from the B sample but the British Boxing Board of Control have made their position clear, as they are "prohibiting" this fight from taking place:

This should be the end of the story, but Wednesday's public workouts are continuing and Eddie Hearn is working under the assumption that the bout is still going ahead.

Both fighters have said that they want the clash to go ahead, and of course they have because they do not want to miss out on a multimillion-pound payday.

Though this decision should not be taken by the boxers. They are some of the bravest athletes out there and they need to be protected from themselves.
The statement from the BBBoC should be enough to do this, but the promoters and broadcasters seem to be putting money over morals in this case, which is a shame.
Speaking as a huge fan of Benn, I am extremely disappointed. Watching his journey in the pro game so far has been brilliant to watch.
But this is an unnecessary roadblock that could potentially ruin his reputation for the rest of his career.
Fighters need to be aware of what is going into their bodies and there are instances where they are not wary enough.

At best, it is a careless lack of foresight from a fighter. At worst, it is a clear example of cheating that the sport must eradicate by any means necessary.

It may come out that Benn's B sample comes back negative, and that would change the situation. Nonetheless, it is more likely that this will be suppressed by those involved in the hope that it is eventually forgotten.
Benn was going into this fight as a major fan favourite but the roles have quickly been reversed as you must feel that Eubank Jr will have the backing of the nation come fight night.
Eubank Jr is the one you feel for here. A lot has been going on in his life in the background after the passing of his brother and this situation is not one that he - or any other fighter - deserves to go through.

As a boxing fan, all the wind has been taken out of my sails. This is a fight that I was counting down the days for as - just like with Amir Khan vs Kell Brook - I was enthused to find out what would happen when the rivals meet.

Though with boxing being boxing, fans have been stiffed and made to look foolish for getting excited about a fight.
Negative tests like these need to be clamped down on and it is a sad indictment on the sport that some are willing to overlook it to get the payday. It is not good enough.
Eubank Jr vs Benn should not go ahead, but if it does, I pray that both men come out safe and well.
The events of the last few hours have already negatively affected boxing's reputation, and a fighter getting hurt would be tragic given the circumstances.
As a fight fan, I'm p***ed off that this keeps happening. And it will continue to unless a fighter's welfare is made the priority. It is not at the moment, and that is not right.

READ MORE: Joe Cordina 'gutted' after being stripped of IBF title without making a defence

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