The fight against doping in world sports seems to know no boundaries – violators are sought and punished all over the globe. However, the degree of this struggle for some reason varies greatly depending on the specific country. Some are waiting for collective responsibility, depriving entire generations of chances, others get away with everything. You can get caught on a banned substance and still show up in the ring. It doesn’t matter what the anti-doping agency decides.

The verdict of the promoter is more important.

“I didn’t break anything”

The duel between the British Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn aroused considerable interest among fans with experience. Boxing fans were waiting for the continuation of the family confrontation, which began more than three decades ago. In the early 1990s, Chris Eubank Sr. defeated Nigel Benn, a little later the rivals parted ways. Now the sons of famous boxers had to reveal the strongest.

However, the fight, scheduled for October 8 in London, was one step away from failure. The reason is very banal – a banned substance was found in the doping test of one of the athletes. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) found the antiestrogen clomiphene in Benn’s A sample.

The drug, traces of which are found in the body of a boxer, significantly increases testosterone levels. According to sports medicine expert Ross Tucker, this is about 146%. The detected substance itself is listed among the prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russian fans of sports in general and boxing in particular know firsthand what threatens even a hint of an anti-doping rule violation. Cancellation of the fight, suspension of the athlete until the end of the proceedings, or even disqualification. The release of the British Boxing Federation allowed us to count on something similar in this case. The fight, “not in the interests of boxing”, should have been canceled, but for some reason it was not canceled.

– I didn’t break anything. As far as I understand, I was not suspended and the fight will take place. Called Chris, he wants to fight like me. Doctors did not see that this substance could give any advantage in the ring. Therefore, we immediately had a conversation as an athlete with an athlete, Eubank is preparing for a fight, ”The Guardian quotes Benn.

There is no reason to cancel the fight

Eubank was not opposed to the fight, despite the possible advantage of the opponent. But is this a sufficient argument for the fight, given the position of the British Boxing Federation? Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn believes that there is no reason for the cancellation – until the “B” sample is opened, his client cannot be considered guilty. It is curious that VADA did not begin to comment on this episode.

Eddie Hearn / Photo: © Harry Trump / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Benn’s team, among other things, insists that the boxer passed all kinds of tests to the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD), nothing prohibited was found in them. Promoter Hearn is citing precedents in which the British Boxing Federation has already brushed aside VADA test results if an athlete was clean according to the national anti-doping agency. And this means that Conor should appear in the ring regardless of any charges.

It’s even funny to see how the rhetoric regarding the anti-doping fight changes when non-Russians are in the lens of attention. Of course, VADA is not an omnipotent WADA capable of controlling the fate of a whole generation of athletes from individual countries. But this organization also spoiled the nerves of Russian fans. Suffice it to recall the meldonium story with Alexander Povetkin, when the Russian Vityaz lost a real chance to take the championship belt from Deontay Wilder.

It turns out that in some countries it is possible to declare one’s innocence by appealing to an unopened “B” sample, the consent of an opponent, or even some precedent where the decision of the anti-doping organization is not important. Such audacity, perhaps, could even be adopted. But, alas, double standards allow such pranks only for the “chosen ones”.