THE WEEK, amid whispers that the World Boxing Council (WBC) was about to announce that Conor Benn would be eligible for inclusion in their world rankings, the boxing Twitterati had lost its mind. How dare they, many people shouted. And how dare Benn assume he is innocent, remains the general opinion of fans.
boxing news understands that reports suggesting an upcoming announcement from the WBC regarding Benn are premature. Sure enough, one didn’t come. But what difference would it make if we were told that the WBC was planning to rehabilitate Benn? Aesthetically, on social media channels it will be a shareable tool for Benn’s ongoing PR campaign, but in reality it won’t change anything regarding the guilt or innocence of the boxer. Being ‘deleted’ by a sanctioning body, like the WBC, is very different from being cleared by a regulator, like the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).
In short, the sanctioning body ‘punishes’ matches by attaching belts (and fees) to them, which regulates the rules of that competition (in agreement with the governing body of residence). on the territory of the match) and this body ranks the boxers. It does not ‘govern’ in the way that the BBBofC or the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) does. The sanctioning agency does not conduct brain scans, does not monitor the boxers’ health, does not administer licenses. Only the governing body can ‘clean’ the boxer to fight. So for the argument, if Benn wants to fight in Las Vegas in the future, he won’t need a WBC rating, he’ll need permission from the NSAC, especially now that he doesn’t have a current license has with any regulator in the world after giving up its license with BBBofC last year.
It certainly raises the question of why Benn seems to prioritize the approval of a sanctioning body over any regulator. The obvious answer seems to be the WBC’s close relationship with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), the testing body that detected clomifene in Benn’s system twice last year. However, even if the WBC re-establishes Benn as a world-ranked heavyweight, there are still obstacles to be addressed. Logically, clear those obstacles before Winning the rankings seemed a more sensible course of action, for the sake of both Benn’s long-term future and the sport’s overall reputation. Because as we all should know all too well by now, the boxing rankings are one of the most corrupt leagues in the entire sport and when it comes to justice, the bodies sanction incorrectly. is the basis for truth and honesty.
How many times have you heard any of them convict a boxer for failing a test? Instead, the priority is almost always to clear a fighter’s name, especially when that fighter is marketable and has the potential to offer expensive advice. Innocent until proven guilty is a phrase we keep hearing and while fair enough to some extent, who even tries to prove themselves guilty?
The WBC welcomed 270 pages from Benn and his team that the boxer believes will prove his innocence. It can also do. In fact, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary (other than initial failed tests), it is certainly a pretty convincing document.
Top boxers who fail the PED tests have the resources to compile cases that prove their innocence. They arrange the best lawyers and the best scientists, that’s their right. But in a sport like boxing, where life comes first, isn’t the trial of the guilty case equally important? Is anyone able to handle that case, can the authorities afford such luxury, or are decisions made purely based on hearing only one side of the story? story, created, nothing more, nothing less, by the best lawyers and scientists money can buy? If the judiciary works that way, it’s unlikely that a jury can reach a guilty verdict and overcrowded prisons will quickly become a thing of the past.
Of course, it is important not to be presumed guilty. It’s not the case with Benn or any of the boxers who fail the test. But at the very least, it is essential that the authorities consider guilt a really simple possibility because, inevitably, illegal substances have been found in their system. And to consider the case first and then make a decision, surely the authorities need to tacitly understand all the evidence. Like any incident worthy of investigation – be it a knife found in the body or an illegal substance discovered in the blood – it is important that all possibilities are fully explored.
Only when a mixture of substances is discovered – as in the case of Larry Olubamiwo and Jarrell Miller, for example – are we allowed to infer guilt. Almost every other famous case is considered a terrible mistake. Do we really have to believe that 90-95% of the PED found in boxers’ bodies is the result of contamination or the like?
Benn’s reputation has plummeted in recent months for understandable reasons. It will not be cleaned up by a document nor a Top 10 ranking from a sanctioning agency that last week said BN: “We always believe in the innocence of athletes until they are proven guilty. I have known the Benn family for many years and I just hope this gets resolved quickly.”
The real hope is that this young and talented boxer gets a chance to make his name right, with all the facts presented and some worthy decision-makers overseeing the results. Benn, if innocent, need not live the rest of his boxing life under the shadow of suspicion. Only when all the evidence is explored and understood will the opposite be possible.
Larry Olubamiwo captures Jason Gavern during a fight at York Hall on November 14, 2013 in London, England (Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
WBC has attracted fans this week, this week it was reported that DAZN plans to increase its monthly fee from £7.99 to £19.99, which is a huge increase. However, as always, you should look beyond the headlines.
There are other options for subscribers. They can pay £9.99 per month, although this doesn’t allow cancellations to happen at any time and means a one-year commitment to the streaming platform. Or they can make a one-time payment of £99.99 over 12 months. The plan is clearly to attract as many long-term subscribers as possible, which is no different from any subscription-based business.
To soften the blow, DAZN – along with their main boxing supplier, Matchroom – have announced that Anthony Joshua’s return match against Jermaine Franklin on April 1 inside the O2 Arena will be unpaid. for each view. There are also other notable matches coming up, the best of which are Leigh Wood-Mauricio Lara (February 18), Shavkatdzhon Rakimov-Joe Cordina (April 22) and Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II (April 20). May). There are other matches, with big names playing against weaker teams, like Callum Smith-Pawel Stepien (March 11), Bam Rodriguez-Christian Hernandez (April 8) and a domestic crossroads clash. , Cyrus Pattinson-Chris Jenkins (March 18).
Matchroom is still the most promotional group in the world and above is as good a schedule as any in the industry through 2023, but they have a lot of pressure on their shoulders, even with Golden Boy joining. and anti-hardcore supply, Misfits Boxing, are set to increase their output.
Boxing – the sport that continues to thrive when it comes to fighting – will always struggle to make a sports channel as long as it runs without a long schedule and every ad group is at odds with its competitors. their keeper. Simply put, when compared to true mainstream sports that promise solutions to competitions and the big days that are regularly in the diary throughout the year, boxing cannot give fans peace of mind when long-term planning.
Other sports available on DAZN include Spanish women’s soccer and Championships, chess and the Pro Boxing Tournament – but there are still days of the month with no live activity. Compared to Sky Sports and BT Sport, which have a similar monthly subscription fee to DAZN’s £19.99 offer, it’s a rare schedule.
