British boxer Conor Benn has taken aim at the World Boxing Coucil after he was cleared of doping allegations last week. Benn claims that the WBC did him a "disservice" by claiming he failed drug tests as a result of excessive egg consumption.
On Feb. 22, the WBC released its ruling in which it clears Benn of doping while noting that the trace amounts of Clomiphene and its metabolites found in Benn's sample could have been caused by consuming a high amount of eggs.
"Mr. Benn's documented and highly-elevated consumption of eggs during the times relevant to the sample collection, raised a reasonable explanation for the Adverse Finding," read the WBC ruling.
Benn was allowed to return to the WBC welterweight rankings after the investigation, but the boxer is still upset with how the organization handled the situation. In a lengthy statement posted on social media, Benn said he never admitted to failing a test because it came back as positive only after it has been tested several times already.
"In my defence to the WBC and the 270-page report provided to them, at no point did I indicate that I failed any VADA tests because of contaminated eggs," Benn said. "I feel like the WBC statement did a disservice to my defence.
"As part of its lengthy investigation, the WBC instructed its own experts to review my supplements and diet, and they concluded that egg contamination was the most likely cause.
"My sample appears to have come back clear the first three times it was tested. Without explanation it was retested again after nine days and only then did it show a trace positive result."
Benn also called out the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) for attacking him "publicly and privately" throughout the process. He alleged the BBofC treated him "with utter contempt and without any consideration for fair process or my mental state."
My Statement. My truth. Part 1 pic.twitter.com/ZFBaX8BMEn
— Conor Nigel Benn (@ConorNigel) February 28, 2023
Benn was set to take on Chris Eubank Jr in October, but their fight was cancelled after Benn's test result in August appeared suspicious to the British Boxing Board of Control. That was going to be an interesting fight as their fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, were known rivals during their time as active boxers.
Benn's original test sample "yielded an adverse analytical finding for Clomiphene and its hydroxymetabolites MI and M2." Clomiphene and its metabolites are banned substances at all times under the WBC Clean Boxing Program because they increase testosterone production and boost testosterone levels.
Members of the WBC Results Management Unit held an inquiry session with Benn and members of his legal team on Jan. 26. The boxer maintained his innocence the whole time.
"We have never cut corners or cheated the grind in any way," Benn wrote in a statement in December. "... It's been really hard for me to accept that people think that I would do what I was accused of."
— Conor Nigel Benn (@ConorNigel) December 12, 2022
The WBC talked to an expert nutritionist for the investigation, and the nutritional committee will work with Benn's team in the future to design a nutrition program that will help avoid future adverse findings, the ruling read. The eggs Benn said he consumed could've been contaminated, so the council said they will also "establish a line of communication with WADA regarding the WBC's concern about Clomiphene as a food contaminant and the potential of false positives caused by ingestion of contaminated food."
This wouldn't be the first incident of contaminated food in boxing. In 2018, Canelo Alvarez had two positive tests results for clenbuterol after eating contaminated meat.
