Eddie Hearn Reveals Legal Letter From Ben Shalom Re Amir Khan Failed Test Comments
Eddie Hearn Receives Letter From Rival Ben Shalom Regarding Alleged “Defamatory Comments”
Background
British boxing legend Amir Khan was suspended for two years by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) after he failed the post-fight drugs test for his bout against Kell Brook in February 2022.
The results of the test were not made public until fourteen months later but the BBBofC’s general secretary Robert Smith has since confirmed that he knew about the adverse finding from when the results were known last year.
Ben Shalom, the promoter of the event, has insisted he had no knowledge of the failed test until the general public did earlier this week.
Hearn’s Original Comments
Rival promoter Eddie Hearn went on iFL TV claiming that people involved in the promotion did know.
“People from the promotion/the broadcast, certainly the BBBofC, they knew about that situation. Ben Shalom came out and said ‘I didn’t know anything about it, first time I ever heard about it was this morning and I spoke to Robert Smith (BBBofC), he’s not heard about it either’. Robert Smith knew about it months and months ago.”
Shalom’s Response
Shalom responded to the statement from Hearn just hours later on the Fight Disciples podcast. “I’m actually shocked to see that and we don’t like to go back and forth, we don’t want to send legal letters, we don’t want to threaten but believe me something will be going on that. That is one of the most defamatory things I’ve ever seen said about me.”
Latest From Hearn
Hearn has now responded in an interview with Boxing Social confirming that Shalom did follow up via a legal letter.
“I had a letter, that’s about it. We’ve gone back. As you’ve seen, I said ‘There’s no way that members of the promotion did not know about the failed test.’ Firstly it was a co-promotion with Amir Khan promotions, I know a lot of members of the promotion who did know. What can I say?… Welcome to the big league son.”
By NoSmokeSport