Benn-Eubank OFF, For Real, Conor PED Pop Wrecks Another Brit Promotion

Can you call it, should you call it “the theater of the unexpected” if it happens with such regularity it doesn’t surprise you anymore? The pretty anticipated catchweight fight between sons of Brit legends set for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 02 Arena in London, featuring a Benn-Eubank battle, is OFF. And boxing fans with any length of tenure following the ups downs and all arounds of this minimally regulated sport aren’t that surprised.

The British Boxing Board of Control decided that Tuesday night, that the Benn-Eubank show MUST NOT go on, and informed principals Wednesday morning that they can make plans to do Netflix and chill Saturday, because the Conor Benn PED positive wrecked the vibe.

MUST THE SHOW GO ON?

Promoter Eddie Hearn wanted the show to go on, and talked about lawyering up, to force the issue, and there was chatter of the Luxembourg brigade parachuting into London, to act as oversight body, in place of the BBBofC. I knew, basically, that this tactic wouldn’t fly after reading this BBBoC public statement Wednesday morning:

Will we see Benn-Eubank rescheduled?

That wording implies no wiggle room.

So, for the second time in a month, a major pugilism event in London been rendered into confetti during fight week–read this Matt Aguilar piece on the history of postponement bouts–and another batch of working professionals are out of a paycheck, after spending months and weeks readying themselves for fight night.

BRIT BOXING TAKES ANOTHER ONE ON THE CHIN

Blame Benn, I guess, right? Who else would you blame?

The Queen dying is what pushed the stellar double feature (Shields vs Marshall, Mayer v Baumgardner) from Sept. 9 to Oct. 15. Benn seeking a shortcut to get in fighting trim brings us here. “The Destroyer” using a banned chemical utilized by body builders to regain “proper” testosterone levels after enjoying the muscle building effect of a cycle of chemical of chemicals employed to gain an illegal edge and getting caught by a VADA test leaves us where we are. The 26 year old with a 21-0 (14 KOs) mark, wait, grab your jaw now to make sure it doesn’t hit the floor, insists that he’s a clean fighter.

Benn is making like the test is erroneous, and disavowing responsibility for clomiphene being in his system. Ok….You can pick up your jaw now!

Here is the release put out by promoters Hearn and Wasserman on Thursday, repping Eubank Jr:

Here is what Eubank had to say on social media Thursday morning, after the world was told Benn-Eubank is OFF: