MARTIN SAMUEL: All integrity is lost when sport becomes cynical game of looking for loopholes

And now a brief word from Eddie Hearn. ‘What is the point in signing up for drug testing if, when you fail, everyone goes, “Oh don’t worry about it, just let him fight”? The argument of, “Well, it’s all right with UKAD”, is totally irrelevant. You’ve signed for drug testing with VADA – the best testing agency, in my opinion, in the sport.’

And he’s right, of course he’s right. But that’s the problem with talking, isn’t it? Some people listen to what you say. Others document it.

A few even remember it. And Hearn talks, a lot. So as he battled for two days to put on a promotion featuring a headliner who had tested positive against another who was shedding pounds desperately to make a weight, it was a matter of time before footage emerged of his take on the issue when Billy Joe Saunders returned a similar test prior to his fight with Demetrius Andrade in 2018.

Promoter Eddie Hern spent two days in a bid to put on Conor Benn versus Chris Eubank Jr despite a positive drugs test

The circumstances had echoes right down to the identity of the testing body – the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

Back then, Hearn pronounced them the best. This week he wanted to disregard their inconvenient findings on the grounds UKAD were the official testers for Conor Benn versus Chris Eubank Jr.

Juxtaposed with his historic commentary, he truly had no defence. There is not a line from his thoughts on Saunders that remain consistent with his stance this week.

Indeed, if Hearn announced he had changed his mind, it was only about the money after all, he appeared less interested in the integrity of his sport or even in the care for his boxers, it would at least appear to support his actions. Reputationally, Hearn would have been the biggest loser of all if this fight had gone ahead.

Even scrapped, it was an unsavoury spectacle, the promoters of the sweet science seeking to undermine sweet reason in a court of law after the British Boxing Board of Control washed their hands of the fight.

What a repulsive scene it became. And yet nobody was stepping away. Not DAZN who were broadcasting the fight, not the highly principled BBC who were to provide radio commentary, or the O2 Arena venue, or the sponsors, such as bookmakers Betfred.

Saturday’s fight between Eubank Jr (left) and Benn (right) has been officially called off

Not one of them budged, not one took a backward step. So it wasn’t just Hearn. Nobody with skin in the freakshow appeared keen to vacate their ringside seat until it became legally impossible to do anything else.

In the past, promoters have found sanctioning bodies from outside the United Kingdom but Hearn insisted he wouldn’t. That doesn’t mean others did not explore.

It was a joint promotion after all. And that is a growing problem for all sports, the rogue rulebook.

Take golf. Long term, the LIV Tour may have found a way to get its rebel participants the ranking points they crave by joining up with MENA, the Middle East and North African tour.

MENA is little known and little recognised. It last held an event in Jordan in March 2020 won by Ryan Lumsden, currently ranked 834th in the world, which cost $400 to enter as a professional, $200 as an amateur.

Even the Race to Jordan 2, as it was named, had a cut though. LIV tournaments do not. Nor do they average fields of over 75 players, another supposed non-negotiable when awarding Official Golf World Ranking points.

Matchroom confirmed that the fight has been ‘postponed’ on Thursday afternoon

LIV hoped their next event, in Thailand this week, would accrue OGWR points by taking place beneath the MENA umbrella, but that confidence was misplaced.

Insufficient notice had been given by MENA of a change to its membership structure, meaning OGWR discounted LIV Thailand and is now reviewing its relationship with MENA, too.

No doubt this ends in another legal challenge, yet LIV feel they have a way into the system and as MENA has never known publicity like this, it is willing to co-operate and principle be damned.

No doubt Benn and Eubank Jr would have found a governing body willing to license their fight, too, had Hearn been willing to push harder.

Malta was mentioned. This is where reason now resides. It is under siege from the highest bidders, the smoothest legal operators, those who consider integrity a curse word.

So while skirting the edges may come at a higher price in boxing – the ramifications of letting an illegally pumped-up fighter into the ring are considerably more troubling than who gets to be the richest golfer on tour – as a sport it is far from alone.

Bryson DeChambeau & Co will have to wait with the LIV-MENA alliance currently under review

This week, the Aga Khan, one of horse racing’s wealthiest owners sacked his retained rider, Christophe Soumillon, for elbowing a rival jockey, Rossa Ryan, off his mount during a race last Friday.

A principled stand at last? Hardly. Soumillon was already banned for the rest of the season, and first His Highness let him ride Vadeni in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.

Vadeni came second, meaning Soumillon nearly walked away with the greatest prize in European racing, before commencing a ban for an act that could have gravely injured, even killed, a fellow rider.

He may yet appear for Aga Khan next season, at the discretion of his trainers and team in France. So it is barely a dismissal.

He’s sacked from the part of the season he’s banned from anyway, he may ride again when the dust has settled and, before any of this happened, he was allowed on the back of one of the favourites for France’s most prestigious race.

In the meantime, France Galop are reconsidering their rules so that rider bans start immediately. ‘It is hard for people to understand after such an incident that a jockey can keep riding for 14 days,’ said chief executive Olivier Delloye.

Christophe Soumillon shocked the racing world by elbowing his fellow jockey from his saddle

France Galop has had 27 years to work that out since it was formed. Racing at Longchamp dates back to 1857.

Governing bodies leave loopholes that slick operators wriggle through when money is at stake.

The Matchroom statement issued yesterday made that clear: ‘It is undeniable that the British Boxing Board of Control’s decision to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and without due process,’ it read. ‘That remains a legal issue between the promoters and the Board which we intend to pursue.’

That’s a clear threat. The BBBofC isn’t flush. The thought of Hearn going after them for compensation will fill them with dread.

Yet what was the alternative? See a man fail a drugs test, then let him fight? Accept the twisted logic that, if he passes one test, it renders any failure obsolete?

This is errant nonsense. If the case goes to court, the BBBofC should summon a witness who is absolutely clear on the importance of drug tests and why they must be treated with utmost seriousness by anyone involved in the fight game.

They should call Eddie Hearn.

Don’t despair, City’s dominance will pass

Before anyone gets too despondent, remember this. Nothing is for ever in football. Not the domination of Manchester United, not Arsenal’s Invincibles, not Roman Abramovich, not Liverpool’s boot room.

Everything that was going to make competition obsolete since the Premier League began, and even before, has passed. And this, too, is a moment in time.

Manchester City, Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland, one day they will be gone. This is not the end of English football, even if this year City make it five league titles for the club in six seasons.

Manchester United did that between 1995-96 and 2000-01; Liverpool between 1978-79 and 1983-84. Where are they now?

There have always been periods when one club looks unassailable, going back to Arsenal’s four titles in five seasons in the 1930s, or Aston Villa’s equivalent run from 1895-96 to 1899-00.

It passes. Stuff happens. This week, Guardiola was motivated to deny that Haaland had a release clause in his contract to free him if Real Madrid came calling. It doesn’t matter.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is on course to score an astonishing number of goals

Everyone thinks he will want to play in LaLiga at some stage in his career, just as Cristiano Ronaldo did.

Ultimately, Manchester United could not keep him, and the same will apply to Haaland one day. Guardiola, too.

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has already worked a little miracle keeping the manager as long as this. Yet, one day, it will be beyond his powers.

And while Manchester City are a well-run club and better set up to ride this challenge than certain contemporaries, domination has only arrived with Guardiola.

Manuel Pellegrini won the league in one of his three seasons. The same with Roberto Mancini.

City were successful under their previous two managers, but not like this. What we have seen in recent seasons is the unique coming together of club, coach – and now a wonder goalscorer in Haaland.

It is hard to see past this triumvirate while it stays together. But when it does not?

All things equal, City are not even the biggest club in a four-mile radius. The stardust sprinkled on them by Guardiola can be just as swiftly blown away once they are merely among six elite competitors in England alone.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak has already worked a little miracle in keeping Pep Guardiola at City

Arsenal became the first club since the crossbar was introduced to go a season unbeaten and have never won the league since. Only two managers since the Second World War have won the league for Manchester United. And Liverpool collected 11 titles in the 20 years before the Premier League was formed, and one in 30 years since.

It was the late Gerard Houllier, so often frustrated in his attempts to usurp Manchester United as Liverpool manager, that on looking around Old Trafford one day, murmured: ‘Nothing is for ever in football.’

At the time, it did not seem true. Manchester United were untouchable, their players and manager the best, and the coming Financial Fair Play rules seemed destined to cement their supremacy for ever.

Now look. The stadium is crumbling and that is not all. It took one poorly handled succession for the place to fall apart.

Nobody can see that happening at City because football lives in the present. Haaland is on course for 70 goals. Potentially, we are about to see one of football’s most astonishing achievements.

But that’s this year. Who is their next Guardiola? Who replaces Haaland if he gets itchy feet or his advisers get itchy wallets?

This is a moment in time. Enjoy it, if you can, but relax. It will pass. In football, all things pass.

Maybe Neville and Qatar will be a perfect fit!

A lot of people believe Gary Neville is the worst kind of hypocrite for espousing socialist principles and then signing up to work for BeIN Sports, the broadcast arm of the Qatari state, during the World Cup.

They think this makes him little different to his friend and Qatari mouthpiece David Beckham, or the many leagues and federations that are utterly compromised by their association with Qatar, through BeIN Sports. 

This is a little unfair. 

Neville has been absolutely consistent in his support for a government regulator for football in this country. And where can you go to be more stringently regulated by a government than Qatar?

Gary Neville denied accusations of hypocrisy after revealing he will work for beIN SPORTS

Long-ball game still does it for fans in US 

The United States in 1994 still holds the World Cup’s attendance record. It is fair to say, though, that the locals were not the most knowledgeable crowd. They went crazy for goal-kicks or any long ball, even an aimless clearance, because they equated it to the yardage gained in an NFL match. 

A lot has changed since then, of course. 

Even so, having scored a free-kick from 56 yards against Charlotte, Columbus Crew midfielder Lucas Zelarayan may be about to experience a level of appreciation from the soccer-curious somewhat in advance of his ability. 

If New York Cosmos were still going, they would be trying to play him up front with Franz Beckenbauer.

Rebekah should have listened to Jamie 

Rebekah Vardy’s knowledge of the legal system is playing out like a delicious piece of performance art. 

Her latest contribution, having been required to pay a significant portion of Coleen Rooney’s legal costs, is to say she hopes Rooney will donate the money to charity. Yet the costs aren’t Rooney’s money, the fee is paid to her lawyers. She’s in no position to give that money away, even if she wanted to. 

Meanwhile, Rebekah’s decision to paint Justice Karen Steyn as stupid, incompetent and biased before she was due to apportion costs running into millions proved to be the wise move many thought. As husband Jamie once sagely opined: ‘Chat s***, get banged…’ – with a very large legal bill.