Benn v Eubank Jr off: Five of the biggest boxing controversies of all time

Benn v Eubank Jr

Starting with the latest controversial talking point in boxing, it was announced on Wednesday that the hotly anticipated battle between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr would be cancelled.

Benn tested positive for traces of a fertility drug, a banned substance in the world of boxing.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Chief Executive, Jane Rumble said that the test result was concerning, throwing doubt over a future bout between the two fighters.

“UKAD notes the reporting of a failed VADA test by the boxer Conor Benn with concern.

"UKAD acts on all reports of doping and always encourages anyone with information on suspected doping activity to come forward and share that with us.”

The fight had been anticipated by British boxing fans since it was announced in August 2022, with the sons of two British legends set to renew one of the fiercest rivalries of all time - more on that later.

However, the excitement surrounding the fight has now been (at least temporarily) extinguished, with the positive test leaving fans across the country bitterly disappointed.

Doping has caused plenty of controversy over the years, notably raising questions over Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez when his rematch with Gennady Golovkin was postponed after the Mexican tested positive for banned substances, and was subsequently banned for six months.

Holyfield loses an ear

It has been 25 years since arguably the most notorious moment in boxing history: when Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear.

Following one of the biggest upsets boxing had ever seen in 1996 when Holyfield came out of retirement to win Tyson's WBA heavyweight title, a rematch was scheduled between the two fighters for the following year.

Tyson lost all composure in the third round of their second bout and bit a part of his opponent's ear off, causing the referee to intervene. Just seconds after the restart Tyson went for Holyfield's other ear and was disqualified.

The disqualification resulted in 'Iron Mike' losing his reported $30 million (£27 million) purse, but at least it produced one of sport's most iconic moments.

Ali loses his license

Muhammad Ali was the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world in 1967, heading into his prime years as a fighter.

However, he refused to step forward when he was drafted for the Vietnam war which resulted in his arrest.

Before he was even convicted, the New York State Athletic Commission took his boxing licence away and left him unable to compete for three years.

He also lost his heavyweight title.

Ali lost some key years as a boxer, and was left having to speak at colleges to earn any sort of money before returning to the ring in 1970 with a third-round victory against Jerry Quarry. 

The fighter would go on to win the heavyweight title for a record third time against George Foreman, becoming the only boxer in history to win the linear heavyweight title three times.

Luis Resto's plaster cast pads

The case of Luis Resto's 1983 bout against Billy Collins Jr is one of the more sinister entries on this list.

Resto went into the fight as the underdog, having a 20-8-2 record, while his opponent was an undefeated junior middleweight fighter who had won his previous 14 bouts.

Going into the fight, Resto had an ounce of padding removed from his gloves and allegedly filled them with plaster which would cause serious damage to Collins Jr.

The damage was irreversible, with the injuries to Collins' eyes meaning he could never box again, resulting in the fighter struggling with alcohol problems. Within a year, he was found dead after crashing his car near his home.

As a result, both Resto and his trainer - Panama Lewis - were banned from boxing for life and sentenced to two-and-a-half and one-year prison sentences respectively.

Benn vs Eubank - the Fathers

Although less controversial than the other entries on the list, the rivalry between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Snr will go down as one of the nastiest in British boxing history.

The two fought twice, once in 1990 and again in a rematch in 1993, with Eubank winning the first bout and the second ending in a draw.

Both Benn and Eubank generated huge hype for both fights and it was well documented that the two men genuinely disliked each other, leading up to two of the most anticipated boxing matches ever.

"I find the man intolerable," Eubank said in a pre-fight press conference.

"He has no class as I see it"

"I personally do hate him," Benn would admit before the 1990 battle.

They would even go on to draw headlines ten years after their rematch, reportedly clashing on the set of TV show 'Gladiators' in 2003 and having to be held back from one another during filming.

Such a heated rivalry meant that great attention would later be put on the 2022 match between their sons, however British fight fans have been robbed of the opportunity to see the two go face-to-face for the foreseeable future.