Benn – who is expected to face Eubank Jr for a second time – has bravely opened up about how the sport of boxing helps with his mental health
Conor Benn has opened up on the impact boxing has on his mental health ahead of his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr.
The pair are expected to go head-to-head for a second time at the same venue on November 15 – seven months on from their initial encounter. Eubank Jr and Benn clashed in April at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with the former going on to win on points.
Immediately after the first clash, it seemed likely that the rivals would clash in a rematch – which was initially set for September 20. However, Eubank Jr insisted he would not be ready. Fans assumed the sequel would fall through – but a deal was finally struck. After the news was confirmed, Benn took to social media to share his thoughts on the rematch.
“I was ready in September but I’ll be even more ready for November. See you soon, Chris Eubank Jr,” he wrote. The ‘Destroyer’ is widely regarded as one of the biggest British fighters in the sport, destined for world title fights. Sometimes, the pressure of boxing can be too much and several crumble when the going gets tough.
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Benn has opened up on his mental, insisting he benefits immensely from training and that the sport gives him stability. The boxer – who was speaking to Reece Mennie on his podcast – said: “Boxing definitely helps my mental health, and it’s whatever you find peace in. Some people would walk into a boxing gym and have anxiety and have a heart attack, some people walk in and fall in love straight away, it all depends on the individual. Mine was a growing relationship.
“I remember asking my Dad; ‘why do you still train like a lunatic?’ It didn’t make sense to me, when he was 55 at the time, and he said that he needed it for his mental health. When I am retired I’m not gonna be thinking about training, and I’ll have a cigar in one hand and a glass of tequila in the other hand and relax.
“But as I’ve got older, I actually need training for my mental health, I need routine, I need stability, I need structure. Boxing gives me all of that. When I first turned professional, I used to really struggle outside of camp, like I was slipping into oblivion, no safety net and just free-falling and it has taken me 5 or 6 years to understand what is good for me.”
In the same interview, the 28-year-old shared his feelings on Eubank Jr. The pair clashed on several occasions ahead of fight night and traded barbs online in an attempt to get under each other’s skin. After sharing 12 rounds with Eubank Jr, it seems as if Benn still has a dislike toward his rival.
“It was dangerous for both, it just depends on who’s side of the fence you’re sitting on. The only thing that affected him was the rehydration, but his team said that he can’t put on more than 10lbs, so 10lbs was the limit. I’m a 147lb fighter, you can see I’m not a 160lb fighter, and I weighed in at 157lbs and I was underweight!” He said.
“But we both took a risk in fighting at a different weight, I took a risk in fighting a bigger guy, so let’s find a common ground, but there are pros and cons to us being at that weight, it all just depends on who does it better. And he didn’t do it better, because he’s unprofessional and he cost me £500,000. I still think he’s an idiot. I will always think he’s an idiot!”
When is Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr II?
The 12-round middleweight rematch is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15. It will once again be held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London. Official times are yet to be confirmed – but it is likely that the undercard will begin at around 5pm UK time.
In the main event, the ringwalks will likely take place at around 9:50pm UK time. The first clash was shown on DAZN PPV for a price of £19.95, but full broadcast details will be confirmed in the near future.