Eddie Hearn has blasted Chris Eubank Jr after he claimed that over 50 per cent of the 'boxing industry would disappear' if athletes who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs were immediately banned from the sport for life. 

In a sit-down interview with Mail Sport, Hearn disputed Eubank's comments, calling the statistic 'absurd,' and defended the sport's current testing protocols ahead of this weekend's clash with Conor Benn. 

'It's absolutely ridiculous to suggest that 50 per cent of the sport would be banned,' Hearn said. 'If you look at the number of tests done in boxing now, especially for significant fights, they are thorough. 

'Every major championship fight now is under full VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) testing. Over the past few years, the level of testing has improved dramatically.'

Hearn pointed to recent results from the Riyadh season cards, where 'over 100 bouts have been tested' with only one failed test, highlighting how infrequent positive results are despite the comprehensive testing regime.

'You look at how many fights have been tested—there have been over 100 fights on Riyadh season cards, and only one failed test,' Hearn said. 'So to claim that 50 per cent of the sport would be banned is a massive exaggeration. The statistics just don't add up. There's been a real improvement in testing, and it's getting to a place where I think we're in a good spot.'

However, the Matchroom promoter did acknowledge that the issue of performance enhancing drugs is one boxing, like all high-performance sports, continues to grapple with. 

'There's definitely a problem in all high-performance sports when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, because people will always try to get an edge. But I don't think it's out of control in boxing like it is in other sports,' Hearn added.

He also elaborated on the nuances of the issue, suggesting there's a wide range of substances and levels of contamination, which complicate the decision-making process when determining the severity of an infraction. 

Hearn noted that while most fighters are aware of what they are taking, there are cases where contamination might be unintentional, and there are instances of fighters testing positive for trace amounts of banned substances. But, he said, when substances are deliberately administered, the situation is far clearer.

'When you look at someone like Jarrell Miller, who's tested positive multiple times and for substances that are clearly injected, it's a different scenario. You know they're guilty. But sometimes a fighter could have a trace amount of something, and there could be a very strong argument for contamination,' Hearn explained. 

'Look at Claressa Shields - she recently tested positive for cannabis, and they're saying it could've been inhaled during her ring walk. You just never know what to believe. But 90 per cent of the time, the fighter knows what they're taking.'

As for Eubank Jr's continued claims about Benn, Hearn's defense of his fighter, who failed two drug tests in 2022 before being cleared to return to the ring, was unwavering. 

'Conor is a freak of nature as an athlete,' Hearn said. 'But this training camp, he's taken it to another level. The investment he's made - the strength and conditioning team, the chefs, the nutritionists, the masseuses, Tony Sims, and the sparring partner - he's gone all in. 

'You know Conor is in great shape for every fight, but this time he's completely turned it up. He's on another level. Whatever happens in the ring, he'll know he couldn't have done more.'

Despite the tension and emotion surrounding his upcoming fight against Chris Eubank Jr, Hearn is confident that Benn will be able to control his emotions and follow the game plan. 

'Conor's got the fire in him, that's for sure,' Hearn said. 'But Tony Sims, his coach, will make sure that he sticks to the game plan. It's important that Conor doesn't just go in there with pure emotion, like his father did when he fought Eubank Sr. Nigel Benn made that mistake, and Conor has learned from it.'

Hearn also praised Benn's focus and discipline, which he believes will give him the edge over Eubank Jr at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening. 

'Conor is so disciplined in his training camp, and that's something his father didn't always have. The one thing Conor has over Nigel is the discipline and focus—his preparation is second to none. He's in a great place to win this fight.'