Joseph McNally has revealed that VADA testing has not been undertaken for the rematch between Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr.
The pair meet in a repeat or revenge clash on Saturday, at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Smith comprehensively won the first fight between the pair, at the same venue back in January, as he stopped the second-generation Eubank inside four rounds.
A lot of talk in the build-up to the rescheduled rematch –– which was originally set for June 17 and then July 1 before eventually landing on September 2 –– has been around drug testing, given that heavyweight Robert Helenius, who was recently knocked out inside seven rounds by Anthony Joshua at the O2 Arena in London after replacing Dillian Whyte in the fight after the Brixton man returned an adverse finding in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test in the lead up to the contest, and undisputed super-featherweight queen Alycia Baumgardner have both been popped for tainted tests in weeks gone by.
And McNally, who trains former WBO super-welterweight world champion Smith at the Rotunda gym in Liverpool alongside Declan O’Rourke, stated during fight week that his man in particular has not been tested by the doping agency before the grudge clash with Eubank Jr.
“Chris [Eubank Jr.] made a comment, he was giving the likes of Conor Benn and Robert Helenius and others a bit of sh!t because he’s just had a p!ss test,” McNally said in an interview with ESBR Boxing.
Eubank Jr., 33, took to Instagram to slate the names McNally had mentioned, stating that “there’s still clean athletes representing the sport we love”, ahead of putting his 32-3 (23 KOs) record on the line against the Liverpudlian again.
“Listen,” McNally continued, “I ain’t seen no VADA for this one.
“VADA hasn’t walked into my gym and tested Liam Smith once so what’s [Chris Eubank Jr.] bragging about getting tested by [UK Anti-Doping] for?"
The aforementioned Baumgardner received an adverse finding last month in the wake of her July 15 defense of the titles against Christina Linardatou in Detroit, while Helenius stepped in to face Joshua after a win in his homeland of Finland just a week earlier.
“UKAD’s testing is a load of sh!te and it is disheartening and we’re seeing it a lot more because they’re getting caught.
“It’s a f------ travesty for the sport because people’s lives are on the line in there and it just shouldn’t be happening.”
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr II is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday. Book it now at sky.com/boxoffice.