Promoters Kalle Sauerland and Eddie Hearn during a press conference at the Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel London
BOXING has witnessed many tawdry and unedifying moments, but it would be hard to find one as tawdry and unedifying as the spectacle of co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland jumping through hoops to try and salvage Conor Benn v Chris Eubank Jr in Greenwich, London this weekend – despite the former failing a VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) drugs test for the banned substance clomifene, the female fertility drug which can raise testosterone levels when taken by men, at the start of September.
Thankfully in the end sanity won out and the fight has been postponed. But not before its reputation was sullied by Hearn and Sauerland initially refusing to accept the British Boxing Board of Control’s announcement on Wednesday, withdrawing their sanctioning of the fight on grounds that is “not in the interests of boxing”, as the last word on the matter and are said to have explored the avenue of legal action and an injunction against the Board to force the issue.
In his statement, formally announcing the fight’s postponement, Hearn confirmed that he believed the board’s decision to withdraw its sanctioning of the bout was “procedurally flawed and without due process.” He goes on to state that he intends to pursue legal action against the board in consequence.
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