Rodolfo Orozco – the opponent Conor Benn faced on his return to the ring after testing positive for a banned substance last year – has reportedly been involved in his own doping scandal.
Benn made headlines in October 2022 when his fight with Chris Eubank Jr. was canceled just days before it was due to happen when he tested positive for clomiphene twice in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) test.
Although his ban in Britain was lifted by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) in July, the fighter still faces a possible two-year ban in this country pending the outcome of appeals against that decision by the British Board of Boxing Control and UK Anti-Doping, as first reported by Mail Sport.
He returned to action in September after 17 months when he took on little-known Mexican Orozco in Orlando, with the BBCofC claiming at the time that Benn had not cleared his name and would not return to the ring.
Orozco took Benn the full ten rounds before losing by unanimous decision in the US, but his performance in the fight has now received a lot of attention.
Rodolfo Orozco (left), Conor Benn’s (right) opponent in his comeback fight in September, has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance
It comes just over a year after Benn twice tested positive for clomiphene in a VADA test
According to Boxing sceneOrozco, 24, returned a positive VADA test and the Florida Athletic Commission suspended him pending an investigation.
Further details about the positive test, such as the content, time of sample or level of prohibited matter are unclear, but the Mexican’s adverse finding is the latest high-profile testing error in 2023.
It’s also another unwelcome storm for Benn to be involved after a rough year for the 27-year-old welterweight fighter.
Benn – who has maintained his innocence throughout his own story and spent “hundreds and thousands” on scientists to clear his name – is currently in talks with Eubank Jr. about rescheduling their fight.
His promoter Eddie Hearn revealed earlier this month that he did most likely to take place in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 3.
The aforementioned UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control are appealing NADP’s decision to lift Benn’s suspension. A solution may not be found until December or January, Mail Sport understands.
That is why Hearn wants Benn to be able to continue his career in Britain as long as the trial is still ongoing and he is not suspended by UKAD.
During an interview with Mail Sport last month, Benn also revealed that he was struggling to come to terms with the fact that people will always associate his name with last year’s adverse findings and revealed how, during the height of his clomiphene case, his father fell into a deep depression.
Benn said, “You know what, it was really hard for me to accept at one point. I thought, I don’t even want to fight. If this is how it’s going to be, I don’t even want to fight.
‘It took my love away from boxing. Everything. The sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you accept it, this is what it is. If I could change the testing they do for clomiphene then it would have been worth it in the end.
‘I still wanted to work with UKAD, regardless of the outside. I am willing to work with them and that goes without saying. I wouldn’t have spent all this money, hundreds of thousands of euros in legal fees and scientists, for nothing.
Benn is currently in talks to renew his canceled fight with Chris Eubank Jr. to be moved early next year
The 27-year-old welterweight fighter has maintained his innocence throughout the saga
“So if we can change the law on it, that would be great. I can’t say it was worth it because what I went through was so hard. But I would feel better about the situations. That something good came out of this.”
Benn – who previously admitted to having suicidal thoughts after his career was threatened – went on to speak about the impact the situation has had on his family.
The 26-year-old said: “It has definitely taken a toll on my family. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father so depressed. I’ve never seen him so bad. It’s been a difficult time. Then there’s Tony, Eddie, everyone has suffered from this in the last year.
“It wasn’t anyone’s fault, it was just a situation that happened and there was nothing we could do to prevent it from happening. Could we have handled the situation better? Yes, we could have done that, but you live and you learn. That’s that. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so here we are.”
Mailsport reached out to Benn’s representatives, Matchroom Boxing, for comment.