Eddie Hearn is branded ‘manipulative’ in heated on-air talkSPORT showdown with Simon Jordan

Eddie Hearn and Simon Jordan had a heated on-air showdown on talkSPORT, where the Matchroom boxing boss was labeled “manipulative” for his actions over Conor Benn’s failed drug test.

Benn failed two drug tests for the banned substance clomiphene last year, causing his grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr to be called off in October.

Hearn had said, at the time, that his promotion had been “considering our options” despite calls from the boxing community to immediately cancel the fight.

It led to brutal criticism from the likes of talkSPORT’s Jordan, who blasted Hearn for his actions at the time and continued to do so when they clashed on air Tuesday.

Speaking on the White & Jordan show, Hearn opened by saying: ‘I don’t like what Simon said [about his response to the Benn incident].

Simon Jordan (L) and Eddie Hearn (R) had an on-air confrontation over Conor Benn’s failed drug test

Benn (center) was booked to fight Chris Eubank Jr (left) before a drug test revealed trace amounts of a fertility drug, clomiphene, in his system.

Jordan then responded and said, ‘He [Hearn] he was a coward and he should get over himself and be a big boy. He should have done better than a press conference where he said ‘I’m not going to say anything’.

‘You are quite soft and manipulative and you could have pulled that fight [between Benn and Eubank Jr]. Are you telling me you couldn’t have left him as a fighter if he discredited the contract?

Hearn then retorted: ‘This is where you don’t understand. According to the contract, the board [British Boxing Board of Control] rule the sport.

‘Contractually in the incidence of this, the fight can’t go on if the board doesn’t approve it, no matter what happens in private testing.

‘I had the choice and Kalle too [Sauerland] to continue the fight. I regret [saying we were] considering our options because I think the Board made the right decision. I was a bit shocked.

Benn, 26, is now targeting a comeback fight in June, and his promoter Hearn has said he fully believes Benn’s innocence ahead of a possible summer fight.

Hearn: ‘I think I made mistakes. During this process, everything we did was done with care and consideration. No one handled the situation particularly well, but I will say that when these tests were done, we had discussions with our governing body.

‘The conversations went something like this: “Robert, I know you don’t recognize VADA, we’ve been here before, but basically, what are you going to do?” And five weeks later they pulled the fight.

Hearn said he “regrets” the comments he made about the incident in October.

Sportsmail’s Riath Al-Samarrai revealed the exclusive of Benn’s positive drug test in October

“Now people are saying about my mistake of endorsing Conor Benn, I say this: I believe in Conor Benn. It would have been easy for me to brush it off, but I believe him 100%. He will fight in June.

Jordan responded: “You are morally wrong to do that and you only do it because it benefits you.”

Benn’s camp initially claimed the 26-year-old was taking significant amounts of powdered egg white supplements to bulk up ahead of the middleweight fight with Eubank Jnr and led to his failed drug test.

Benn has since blamed laboratory errors for failed drug tests and denied mentioning egg consumption as a possible reason.

Jordan and Hearn continued their heated confrontation when the talkSPORT pundit suggested that the BBBofC should ban Hearn for his actions last year.

“You need to get over your victim complex and you should be sanctioned by the BBBofC,” Jordan said. You tried to start this fight despite knowing that Benn had failed a drug test.

Hearn reiterated his point, saying: ‘This fight could have happened. I made the decision not to. I sat down and thought about it and made the call.

Benn, 26, will return to the ring this summer after being cleared by the WBC.

Hearn ended his segment on the show by referencing the BBBoC’s ongoing investigation of Benn that is currently restricting him from fighting outside of the country.

‘At the moment, he is in a legal position with the board [BBBofC] and it’s very important to me that Benn fights again in this country,’ Hearn said.

“I want Benn to go through the whole process with the board, but he has a legal situation with the board and he can’t prove anything yet. In addition, they tried to fine him £100.00.

“I have every fighter under the sun wanting to fight Conor Benn, but I want him to lead the BBBofC.”