Boxing-Hearn rules out new sanctioning body for Benn v Eubank Jr

LONDON : Promoter Eddie Hearn has ruled out seeking a new body to sanction a fight between Britons Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. after the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) said it could not go ahead on Saturday.

Plans were thrown into doubt on Wednesday after Benn failed a dope test and the BBBofC declared the catchweight fight at London's 02 Arena "prohibited and not in the interests of boxing".

"Let’s see what today brings but to make one thing clear, I will not be promoting this fight with a foreign commission or alternative governing body on Saturday night," Hearn said on Twitter.

The possibility of holding the fight without the involvement of the BBBofC emerged on Wednesday as lawyers sought a solution.

"It's been done before and it's not something I've looked at before or something I necessarily agree with," Hearn told the BBC.

"But at the end of the day there have to be some harsh conversations with the board to understand what the process is moving forward. This is not a situation where we want to run rogue and come up with an alternative plan."

The fight has been heavily promoted as a re-run of an epic clash 30 years ago between the boxers' fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn.