The highly-anticipated all-British showdown between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn on Saturday night has now been officially postponed.
The pair had been scheduled to reignite the rivalry between the respective families with their fathers Chris Sr and Nigel involved in two famous fights during their own careers.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, the bout was plunged into jeopardy after it emerged that Benn had failed a drugs test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), testing positive for "trace amounts" of clomifene which is usually used to treat infertility in women but can increase testosterone in men.
Despite the British Boxing Board of Control 'prohibiting' the fight from going ahead, joint-promoters Matchroom Sport and Wasserman Boxing insisted that they intended to press ahead with the event.
The reasoning given was based on Benn passing all the relevant tests with UKAD (UK Anti-Doping Agency), the authority which had been delegated to oversee testing for the bout.
Promoter Eddie Hearn stated that the BBBofC were not in a position to suspend Benn, subsequently leading to a legal process being pursued in an attempt to progress with the fight.
Despite widespread condemnation, there was the expectation that the showdown would progress, providing that Eubank Jr continued to insist that he was willing to participate.
However, Matt Lawton of The Times reports that a decision in the High Court may not have come until late on Friday.
Shortly after 4pm on Thursday afternoon, Hearn and Wassermann promoter Kalle Sauerland confirmed that the decision had been taken to postpone the fight.
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 6, 2022
As well as the legal issue which will be pursued by Matchroom and Wasserman with the BBBofC, it also remains to be seen what will transpire regarding Benn's failed test.
According to reports, the positive test was revealed on September 23, but a 'B' sample is yet to be analysed.
While not confirmed in the statement, the undercard has also been scrapped.
Darren Plant
