Malignaggi Outraged Following Benn’s Return – ‘How Ridiculous’

In today’s online boxing news, Paulie Malignaggi has reacted to the news that Conor Benn will be fighting on September 23rd, 2023, against Rodolfo Orozco following his two failed VADA tests.

Benn was out of the ring for over a year since his failed tests. As a result, the fight with Chris Eubank Jr. didn’t occur. Although that may have been the case, the boxer maintained that he was innocent.

So far, reports stress that Benn’s defense has been based on jurisdictional grounds, as opposed to whether Clomiphene was in his system. However, the National Anti-Doping Agency removed his UKAD suspension. Therefore, Benn can technically box.

However, UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control have appealed the decision, leaving some to question whether Benn should fight while the case is still ongoing. And now Malignaggi has had his say on the matter. 

Malignaggi On PEDs

“I realized just how dirty the sport is. It doesn’t really matter. He’s fighting, and I’m sure plenty of other guys at the top of the sport in his own weight class are dirty too. Does it really matter? It’s starting to matter less and less, unfortunately. He ate too many eggs. Canelo ate too much Mexican meat.

“Tyson Fury ate too much wild boar. At what point do you say, ‘Wow, how ridiculous is this?’ Are we really really going to keep on hearing this and believing it and falling for it? “Just say you don’t care and let them fight because they generate a lot of money, and I’ll respect you more for it. That’s what I’ll do,” Malignaggi said 

Naturally, all eyes will be on Benn’s performance. But in reality, the boxing community will not know how well the boxer is doing on his return until he faces some competition at a higher level.

A win for Benn will lead to the calls for the Chris Eubank Jr. fight to be made, provided that Benn is fully cleared moving forward.

But at a time when Benn has divided the public with his failed tests, it is more vital than ever that he clears his name fully before he can consider the bigger fights. And there is no getting away from that in light of boxing’s numerous failed tests. 

The Amir Khan, Dillian Whyte, Robert Helenius and Alycia Baumgardner failed tests showed that boxing has to do more to tackle the issue of banned substances. And that is what Malignaggi was calling for moving forward. 

“There’s probably more doing it than not doing it, especially at a world-class level. Let’s face it, if guys at a world-class level of doing it, how do other guys at a world class level get to their world class? There’s such little being done to fight this. I hate to say it, but either you have everybody give up and have a major punishment, or you let them all fight and stop pretending you care,” Malignaggi