‘Savage’ Conor Benn: ‘If you win a boring fight, did you really even win?’
Exclusive interview: Ahead of his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr, Benn speaks about faith, hate, and five things he admires in his bitter rival
“There wasn’t much thinking,” Conor Benn admits, mentally transporting himself back to 26 April, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and an 18ft x 18ft ring. “It was just pure rage. I just wanted to flatten him.” Benn is, of course, referring to Chris Eubank Jr, a man who was born to be Benn’s rival.
One could convincingly argue so, anyway. Given Nigel Benn and Eubank Sr’s gripping grudge in the 1990s, their sons’ own rivalry really is a blood feud. A blood feud that ultimately birthed a bloody, draining fight, as Eubank Jr continued his family’s superiority over the Benns by edging past Conor. It was an exhibition of true sporting melodrama, following slaps with eggs, weigh-in scares, and Eubank Sr’s last-gasp arrival. Yet, for Benn, it could have been so different on that spring evening in the English capital.
“It came so close, to where it was like: ‘I just need one more punch,’” he tells The Independent in the Matchroom gym in Essex, reflecting on moments when Eubank Jr looked in serious danger of humiliation. “He just used his experience well in there. I didn’t give him enough credit, but he deserves it for his chin, resilience, heart, engine. To deliver that sort of fight for the public, there’s only one man who could have brought that out of me: his name’s Chris.”
Chris Eubank Jr gives firm answer on whether father will attend Conor Benn rematch
Chris Eubank Jr gives firm answer on whether father will attend Conor Benn rematch
Benn’s own admission – that he was enraged against Eubank Jr, to the point that he was not sufficiently sensible in the ring – may tally with what you presume about the 29-year-old. Indeed, that now-trademark aggression seeps out in sporadic moments of this interview, as the Essex boxer punctuates certain points with a snarl. But really, Benn is thoughtful, articulate, polite, and humble enough to admit that Eubank Jr “is a good fighter”.
Still, that cannot have been easy for Benn to say.
Benn (right) during his clash with Eubank Jr in April
open image in gallery
Benn (right) during his clash with Eubank Jr in April (Getty)
And it may not be easy for him to find the right balance of aggression and pacing on 15 November, when he and Eubank Jr, 35, return to Tottenham for a keenly awaited rematch. Forget the easy references to Eubank vs Benn IV; this is Eubank Jr vs Benn II, in a rivalry that has earned its own place in British boxing lore.
“For me, it wasn’t just the actual boxing [that I had to deal with],” Benn says, “it was everything that had gone on for the last three years. It was mentally challenging. First fight back in 14 months, first fight in the UK in almost three years, first fight at 160lb. There were so many unknown variables, so it wasn’t just a matter of going in there and fighting. I’m happy with the way I dealt with it, not crumbling under the pressure.”
Benn is referring to the lengthy, gruelling saga that began when he returned two adverse drug-test results, which cost him the chance to box Eubank Jr in 2022. Benn, by various accounts, spent close to £1m trying to prove his innocence, but he was only permitted to return to a UK ring 12 months ago, with a further four months separating him from his long-awaited duel with Eubank Jr.
And as much as Benn takes pride in not “crumbling under the pressure”, he still grapples with his April defeat. Even victory next Saturday would not erase the emotions that have plagued him this year, he admits.
A devastated Benn with his father Nigel and coach Tony Sims after losing to Eubank Jr
open image in gallery
A devastated Benn with his father Nigel and coach Tony Sims after losing to Eubank Jr (Getty)
“Would it soften the blow a little bit? Probably not, because I still lost, so… No, definitely not. I don’t like losing in any way. Listen, we don’t prepare to lose, you don’t make the sacrifices you make to lose.”
DAZN logo
Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.
Buy Now
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Benn’s defeat was not only difficult because of the bragging rights that it afforded Eubank Jr; many fans delighted in Benn failing, after assuming the 29-year-old was guilty in his drug-test saga.
And yet, “I’ve actually never really had hate in person,” he says. “I’ve had maybe two that I remember. I think someone shouted something out of the crowd once, and it’s funny because there were maybe 20,000 people, and all I heard was: ‘Eggs!’ It’s laughable, but it’s just life, isn’t it? I don’t even know your name, geezer, so why do I care what you think?”
This time, Benn is referencing the misconception that he blamed his adverse findings on excessive consumption of eggs; in fact, this was an excuse offered to him by the WBC, an excuse that Benn dismissed.
“I ain’t gonna try and please nobody,” he says, though his spirited performance in April did earn him many fans. “If you don’t like me, does it make any difference to my reality? So many fighters are scared to stand on who they are, because they don’t want to get judged. Be who you are.” There is that snarl again. “Imagine living in a world where you can’t be yourself. This is who I’m gonna continue to be.”
So who is Conor Benn, really?
Benn believes he was one punch from finishing Eubank Jr
open image in gallery
Benn believes he was one punch from finishing Eubank Jr (Getty)
“I’m a savage with training. I don’t cut no corners. I put my heart and soul into this game. I look after my kids, my family want for absolutely nothing.” Another snarl. “I’m a strong man in faith, I pray every day. I don’t get involved in what the public say, what the media say, politics.” That hasn’t always been true, though, and Benn’s intense emotions during his drug-test saga proved that. Still, “I ain’t gonna sit there and go: ‘Oh, I best not say or do this, because they might not like me.’
“Ultimately, if I say I’m gonna render you unconscious and I don’t like you, I’m gonna render you unconscious. That’s what my intentions are. If you say that’s barbaric and you don’t like it, don’t tune in,” he laughs.
Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn claims that more than one million people tuned in to the April fight with Eubank Jr, and a hefty figure will surely accompany the rematch. Talk has already turned to Benn’s next move, and to the potential of world titles, yet it feels like Benn’s future may hinge on big-name match-ups rather than championship gold.
“There’s definitely more satisfaction in that,” Benn says of being an entertainer, as opposed to being a champion. “Ultimately, when people tune in to watch me fight, I want them to go: ‘Corrr, yeah, I want to watch another one.’ That means more to me than anything. You have naysayers, you have supporters; ultimately, are you all paying?”
What follows is another question – a fascinating rhetorical. “If you win a boring fight, did you even really win?” Whatever Benn thinks deep down, his rematch with Eubank Jr is a must-win by the standard definition.
