Hearn Slams Robert Smith’s Comments On Benn

In today’s boxing news latest headlines, Eddie Hearn has hit out at the chief of the British Boxing Board of Control, Robert Smith, after the latter stated that Conor Benn had not cleared his name. 

The comments were in reference to Benn’s comeback fight against Rodolfo Orozco on September 23rd, 2023. And as part of that process, Benn has obtained a license in America. This was then accepted by the Florida Athletic Commission.

Hearn stressed that this was due to the National Anti-Doping Agency lifting Benn’s suspension. However, Smith contends that since an appeal has been launched by UKAD and the BBBofC, an outcome has not been finalized.

After all, an explanation as to whether Clomiphene was in Benn’s system, or the manner in which it got there, has not been made public. And yet, Hearn was adamant over Benn’s innocence. 

Hearn On Smith

“Robert Smith says he believes Conor Benn hasn’t cleared his name. What they should’ve asked him is, is Conor Benn cleared to box, because the answer is yes. And that’s the reason that he’s fighting this weekend. You know, [Smith] said that he’s spoken to the commissions. If he wasn’t cleared to box, Robert Smith would’ve said to the commissions, ‘No, he’s not cleared to box. He’s suspended.’ We know he’s not [suspended] because he won his case against the [BBBocC] and against UKAD,” Benn

Nevertheless, Frank Warren has stressed that Benn’s defense was based on jurisdictional grounds. Therefore, it was a question of whether UKAD could enforce VADA findings.

And if that is the case, then it does nothing to address whether Benn had Clomiphene in his body. And with strict liability still in play, there is a possibility that Benn may receive a ban anyway. But when it came to providing a reason for his innocence, Hearn backed his fighter’s efforts. 

Hearn On Benn

“Conor has produced this scientific evidence in the past. It’s not like he’s never, he just kept it under his bed or something. But when that’s asked to be produced, he has produced it every time. If you go and read Matt Lawton’s piece in the The Times, you’ll see a very, very in-depth article about one of the reasons why we believe Conor Benn is innocent,” Hearn 

However, there is always a moral argument that Benn should not fight until the whole process is over. There is a chance that Benn’s return results in his opponent being badly hurt as anything can happen.

And if that were the case, the result would cast a negative light on Benn, Hearn and Matchroom Boxing in general. Not only that, but it may set a precedent for other fighters to do the same rather than wait for an appeal.

And that is something that Hearn must caution against. After all, the desire to tackle PED usage in the sport from the fanbase is growing. And Benn’s case is just one example of that.