Promoter Slams Ben Shalom For No Doping Test During Chris Eubank Jr Vs Liam Smith Rematch

In the world of professional boxing, drug testing becomes crucial for a level playing field. However, in a recent turn of events, Frank Smith lashed out at Ben Shalom for not taking the doping test for the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith fight. Smith is the CEO of, ‘Matchroom Boxing,’ which has partnered up with Eubank Jr. in the past. Meanwhile, Shalom is the promoter of Smith.

The two combatants met each other in January of this year. In their first clash, Smith dominated, ‘The Next Gen’ and secured himself a fourth-round stoppage. Moreover, their rematch was a stark contrast to their first showdown. In their second clash, the thirty-three-year-old defeated, ‘beefy,’ in a stunning fashion. Post the bout, it was reported that there was no pre-fight VADA testing—But why?

Frank Smith reveals why there was a doping test between Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith

If Frank Smith’s word is to be believed, the reason behind the no doping test because he alleges Shalom did not want to spend money on it. He asserts to prevent any money from being spent, Shalom refrains from VADA testing. In an interview with @boxing_social, he stated, “Again,  I Don’t want to sound like a broken record If I go into Him too much and I don’t want to hurt his feelings too much. The reality of the situation is he does not want to pay for Vada testing and, you know again.” 

Although there was no VADA testing, there was UKAD testing. However, Smith does not consider UKAD testing to be trustworthy as they do not always take pre-fight drug tests. In the same interview, he reflects on the same and states, “What I do from being in this sport, a long time. Ukad testing does not guarantee that someone is going to be tested before the fight.”

In the same line of thought, he reveals why VADA testing is necessary to have a transparent process that can be relied upon which was absent from this fight. He adds, “Ukad don’t tell you. So we put Vada testing in place so there is additional so there is an additional layer of testing that is guaranteed that the fighters will get tested before the fight. He doesn’t you know, like I don’t know who ukad are testing of our stabler fighters.”

Read more: “His Team Made a Mistake”: As Liam Smith Opens Up About His Extreme 42-Pound Weight Cut, Fans Call Him Out for Making “Excuses”