The Elephant in the Room

Chris Le Gabach

After Conor Benn's positive test was revealed in Daily Mail, a lot has been written and said about it, not just against the boxer, but also against his promoter, Eddie Hearn, for the wrong and negligent way of dealing with the matter. Quite a scandal further aggravated by the fact that both teams knew about it well in advance and acted as if nothing had happened in an Oscar-worthy performance.
 
The promoters did a great job selling the fight as a (fake) historic rivalry, raising quite a bit of expectation even for those most sceptical. However, it made no sense from many perspectives: different generations and considerable differences between weight classes, career status and goals. Appealing how those who used nostalgia to sell it had so little memory to remember the tragic events starred by both boxers' fathers when the shame was uncovered. There is no link between them, just sharing a profession and their fathers' battles in the 90s.
 
Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn were mentioned so much, and at the same time, promoters knew about Conor's positive test and the demanding physical requirements of Eubank Jr. Why didn't they refer to them when it came to cancelling the fight? These same ones should also have considered how Eubank produced a blood clot in the brain that almost killed Michael Watson in the ring, having to spend months in the hospital coming out of a coma and recovering from the aftermath. The same with The Dark Destroyer Benn, whose result of the war that he starred in with Gerald McClellan was that the latter also ended up in a coma, losing his sight, practically deaf and unable to live without assistance. Knowing the numerous risks in boxing, why take more and illegally?

It was a shame how all the parties involved knew that Conor Benn had tested positive since September 23 and went ahead with the event. If Chris Eubank Jr., acknowledging the cheating and suffering in his own flesh and bones, a Spartan training camp and an unhealthy weight cut, wanted to move forward, is a crime. Still, after all, it was his own health, and he decided to risk it. This issue, added to the knowledge of the use of substances by his rival, led Eubank Sr. to distance himself from the event and call for his boycott. A fact that also almost made him end up, literally, in a mental hospital for those who wanted to silence him. Precisely the only one who showed the common sense lacking to all those involved, who were more interested in the business than the boxer's health.

As in the shell game, the operator needs buddies to help him distract while he cheats with the ball. Thus, besides Eddie Hearn, this scandal has left Eubank Jr.'s team in a terrible place. This makes me think: is this more usual than we believe? Are some athletes allow this just to get a purse? Is everyone in the same boat, with the only difference being that some are caught, which is why they remain silent?

A few days ago, I launched a poll on Twitter asking if doping in boxing was just a matter of isolated cases or the norm. The latter won narrowly, which is perturbing. Are we fans also collaborators of this type of behaviour? Do we care about the physical integrity of the athletes? Or is just entertainment our primary concern? It is also interesting to see how the judgment changes depending on whether the cheater is. Even I could be guilty when, even though I believe doping is unacceptable, one of my boxing idols, James Toney, was caught using prohibited substances. Toney, by the way, is a Hall of Famer like others who were caught using banned performance enhancing drugs, such as Roy Jones Jr. or Shane Mosley. This can also be seen today in fighters with positive tests on their records or who are under well-founded suspicions, such as Canelo, Whyte and Tyson Fury. They are still in the business as if nothing had happened.
 
This should lead to a deep reflection for all participating in this sport, whether fighting, paying for a ticket or negotiating a purse. We all play a part. It is time to acknowledge the problem, deal with it transparently, and behave harshly and intolerantly towards those who do not follow the rules because the elephant in the room is getting bigger and too annoying.