IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards joined in the legion of people criticizing disgraced Conor Benn and the WBC's preposterous ruling that his failed doping test was caused by the innocent consumption of eggs. Edwards tweeted: "I can go to sleep soundly knowing that I’m the best fighter in the world, and that I’ve never had to be a dirty little stinking cheat to get there. No eggs, injections into my batty, [no] teams of lawyers ready to sue UKAD/VADA. Repetition and a clean heart, it’s the only way."

 

PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE:

 

FEB. 23, 2023: The British Boxing Board of Control Limited (BBBoC) is not buying Conor Benn's excuse that eating a large number of eggs caused him to fail a doping test. Quite contrary to the WBC's enabling of future cheating, the BBBoC issued a statement saying it will maintain a strict liability policy towards doping violations. Here is the BBBoC statement:  "The BBBoC is aware that the WBC has considered two positive findings in relation to Conor Benn who, at the time the relevant samples were taken in 2022, was a license holder with the BBBoC. The BBBoC has not been party to the review conducted by the WBC and has not been provided with any evidence submitted on Benn’s behalf. The BBBoC is aware that the WBC has concluded its own review into at least one of the two positive findings and reached its own decision, published on February 22nd. For clarity, whilst the BBBoC wishes to make clear that it respects the WBC, the WBC is a sanctioning body and not a governing body. The BBBoC was the governing body with whom Benn was licensed at the material time, and as such any alleged anti-doping violation shall be dealt with in accordance with its rules and regulations. The BBBoC has adopted the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti-Doping, and those formed part of the rules to which Benn was bound. As such, the decision of the WBC does not affect the ongoing implementation of the BBBoC’s rules (and those of UKAD).The UK Anti-Doping Rules make clear what conduct constitutes an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as defined in those rules (and in the World Anti-Doping Code) and specifically set out the circumstances in which such violations can be committed by way of strict liability."

 

FEB. 22, 2023: The WBC has issued a statement regarding Conor Benn's 2022 failed doping test. It has decided to restore Benn to the WBC rankings, finding the violation to be inadvertent. Late last year, Benn relinquished his British boxing license rather than dispute the positive test through the British Boxing Board of Control. Instead, he found a much friendlier forum at the WBC, who ruled today that Benn's positive test for banned substances was caused by the large number of eggs he had been eating prior to his scheduled fight vs. Chris Eubank, Jr. (That fight was ultimately cancelled.) Here is the full WBC statement, lightly edited for readability: Conor Benn completed his enrollment process in the WBC Clean Boxing Program (CBP) in February of 2022.  Enrollment is mandatory for all fighters rated in the top 15 by the WBC. Benn was enrolled in the CBP’s out-of-competition anti-doping testing in July 2022, when the collection of his samples took place. On August 23, 2022, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) notified Benn and the WBC that his urine A Sample, collected on July 25, 2022 yielded an adverse analytical finding for Clomiphene and its hydroxymetabolites MI and M2. These are banned substances at all times under the WBC CBP.  Clomiphene is a metabolic modulator which promotes testosterone production and boost testosterone levels while burning fat. 

 

On August 30, 2022, the WBC notified Benn of the adverse finding and requested information and materials necessary to investigate the circumstances.  The WBC did not receive a substantive response until December 2022. Benn denied at all times the intentional or knowing ingestion of any banned substances. His defense centered on allegations of potential laboratory analysis failures and irregularities in connection with the analysis of his samples and of the results of the samples’ testing. The WBC consulted several experts in anti-doping laboratory analysis, including an expert consultant with over 30 years of experience in WADA and IOC accredited laboratory settings. The WBC concluded that there was absolutely no fault attributable to the laboratory that analyzed the samples. Further, the WBC reaffirms the unquestionable integrity of VADA and the sample collection agencies and laboratories which services VADA uses in connection with the CBP.

 

It was not until early January 2023, that the WBC Results Management Unit undertook a full, substantive analysis of Benn`s arguments and defenses. On January 26th, that unit held an inquiry session with Benn and his legal team. In early February, Benn’s team for the first time provided a detailed breakdown of Benn’s diet and supplement consumption that could have directly affected the adverse finding. The WBC then availed itself of the services of an expert nutritionist.

 

The WBC Board of Governors issued a ruling based on: (1) the facts known at the time of the ruling; (2) any extenuating circumstances; (3) WBC rulings in precedential anti-doping violation cases; (4) the unbiased, common-sensical and just analysis and recommendations of the WBC Results Management Unit; and (5) credible and reliable health-related and scientific literature.

 

The WBC found that: (1) there was no conclusive evidence that Benn engaged in intentional or knowing ingestion of Clomiphene; (2) there were no failures in the procedures related to sample collection, sample analysis, or violations of Benn’s B Sample rights that would justify questioning or invalidating the adverse finding; and (3) Benn’s documented and highly-elevated consumption of eggs during the times relevant to the sample collection, raised a reasonable explanation for the adverse finding.

 

The WBC Nutrition Committee will work with Benn’s team to design a nutrition program geared to avoid the risk of a future adverse finding caused by nutritional factors. Benn shall be subjected to regular anti-doping testing to monitor the effect of the WBC-ordered nutritional program. The WBC will include Benn in its ratings during the period immediately following the issuance of its ruling. Benn’s position in the WBC Ratings shall be based solely on his merit and the customary factors the WBC Ratings Committee apply to rating boxers.

 

The WBC will establish a line of communication with WADA regarding the WBC’s concern about Clomiphene as a food contaminant and the potential of false positives caused by ingestion of contaminated food.

 

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The British Board of Boxing Control will not allow this weekend's British super fight between Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn to take place due to a positive test for a banned substance by Conor Benn. Here is the commission's brief statement: "On the evening of October 4th, the Board of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited resolved that the contest between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn scheduled to take place on October 8th is prohibited as it is not in the interests of boxing. That was communicated to the boxers and promoters involved on the morning of October 5th."