Conor Benn cut a composed figure at Wednesday’s open workout, inviting his father, Nigel, into the ring, as he revealed therapy has transformed his mindset ahead of his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr.
He admitted to harbouring "a lot of hatred, a lot of bitterness" before their initial bout, fuelled by scrutiny over a failed drug test in 2022 that derailed the original encounter.
This animosity, he explained, "spilled over" into their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium bout, a "classic encounter" ultimately won by Eubank Jr via unanimous decision. While Benn seeks redemption on Saturday, he appears at peace with recent events.
At The Pelligon in Canary Wharf, Benn was joined by his father, former world middleweight champion Nigel, for light-hearted shadow boxing.
"Happy to be here," Benn told DAZN. "Do you know what, I was still healing. A strong mind can carry a weak body but a strong body can’t carry a weak mind. It is all up here, it is all mental."
He elaborated on his past struggles, stating: "A lot of hatred, a lot of bitterness, a lot of spite, waking up in the morning, that is what would fuel me. I would wake up in the morning angry and go to bed angry. I don’t feel that way now."
When asked about the source of his newfound tranquility, Benn candidly stated: "Therapy. A lot of therapy. A lot of help. I was a broken man, I was a broken working man, but my job, my priority, was to get back in the ring because that is the place where I found peace. It was just hard. It was hard mentally."
His relaxed demeanour was evident, waving to the public and posing for a picture with Derek Chisora before embracing his father.
The focus then shifted to Chris Eubank Jr, accompanied by trainer Brian McIntyre.
Eubank Jr spent nearly 20 minutes on the canvas, ignoring PA system calls to conclude his workout, under the watchful eye of Benn’s cornerman, Tony Sims.
In contrast to Benn’s openness, Eubank Jr declined a DAZN interview and snubbed Chisora’s request for a picture.
Despite his media silence, the 36-year-old took to Instagram, accusing Benn of allegedly "scamming fans" with an NFT pump and dump scheme, imploring followers to share experiences.
Notably absent was Chris Eubank Sr, a conspicuous omission given his talkSPORT interview about the fight the day before.
As the rematch draws closer, the contrasting approaches – Benn’s introspective peace versus Eubank Jr’s combative social media presence – set the stage for a compelling encounter.
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