2 weeks Ago By Aaron Morris
The legendary rivalry between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr is set to be reignited this Saturday as their sons Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Benn Sr lost his WBO middleweight title to Eubank Sr in a ninth-round TKO back in 1990, before managing a draw against 'Simply the Best' three years later. Now, it's time for Conor and Chris Jr to step into the spotlight in what is being touted as one of the most eagerly awaited bouts of their generation.
With an impressive unbeaten record of 23-0, Conor enters the ring with an unshakeable confidence, bolstered by his father's guidance and the training of Tony Sims. Since making his debut in 2016, Conor has swiftly risen through the ranks, defeating some of boxing's most promising talents to secure the WBA Continental welterweight title just two years later. Having successfully defended his title eight times, it seems Conor's sights are now firmly set on world championship glory, and a victory this weekend would undoubtedly propel him into contention for the title.
However, he faces a formidable opponent in Eubank Jr, who boasts a record of 34-3 and has spent the majority of his career in the heavier middleweight division, bringing a wealth of experience to the bout. In a striking contrast to Conor, Eubank Jr will enter the ring without his father in attendance. The senior Eubank has starkly criticised the match over concerns about the fighters' weight disparity, despite regulations set at 160lbs and a 10lb rehydration clause aiming to ensure fairness.
Here, The Express provides an in-depth look into Nigel Benn's relationship with his son, his net worth, and his life after boxing. One of Benn's most personal struggles was with sex addiction, a battle he fought as fiercely outside the ring as any opponent inside it. The addiction tormented the former world champion to such an extent that at one point, he contemplated suicide.
He has openly discussed his past issues, admitting: "It was an addiction, not to heroin or anything like that, but to women. I didn't care whether they were tall, short, wide or very wide." His actions, fuelled by "very low self-esteem" following his first marriage's collapse, also threatened his opportunities for creating a second family.
Benn revealed the depths of his despair, explaining: "I just got to a low point when I said, 'Right, this is it'. It was eating me away, I just couldn't keep hurting my wife and my kids." In 1999, following a suicide attempt, he found solace in Christianity and spent a year living with his pastor after being asked to leave his family home by his wife, Caroline.
Fast forward to 2025, and Benn and Caroline's marriage remains solid, with the former boxer said to have recognised his past errors. He is now actively working to demonstrate his devotion to his wife. Benn became the topic of newspaper columns in 2002 when he revealed that he would join the line-up for ITV's hit show I'm A Celebrity.
..Get Me Out Of Here! Nevertheless, his time on the reality TV show was marred by controversy when he clashed with Rhona Cameron.
A heated exchange saw Benn criticise her for "constant moaning" while she accused him of homophobia. It escalated when Cameron told him: "Why don't you go and read your Bible? Actually, why don't you f*** off and leave?" pushing the confrontation to new heights. In return, Benn said: "You're lucky you're not a man or I'd knock you, sparko.
" Fortunately, the conflict didn't turn violent, and in 2022, Nigel reflected on the clash. He said: "Over 20 years ago, I was in the jungle with Rhona. We are both strong personalities, which is what has made us who we are.
I didn't actually threaten her – but did state verbally that if she was a man I would deal with her...
but at no point did I raise my hand to her. It was just a heated exchange of words – end of." While Benn hailed from Ilford, his life has included stints in various countries.
Making the move to Majorca back in 2002, he recalls being less than thrilled about even holidaying on the famed Spanish island initially. As reported by the Majorca Bulletin, he once said: "I was sitting on the plane, still fuming, my agent has messed up the bookings and we did not know where we were booked to be staying, so I'm sitting on the plane, angry and picked up the Daily Bulletin, and started leafing through the ads and spotted this apartment; got to the airport, headed for one of the accommodation offices and asked directions to this property and a hotel nearby. "Great, we ended up in a £50 a night place in Palmanova, not the £1500 a night I'm used to and I'm already missing my cable TV, all I got was BBC 24 and I'm like, get me out of here.
We were supposed to have been in Puerto Pollensa. So, to cut a long story short (no future as a public speaker), I had lost interest in the apartment but my wife managed to talk me into looking round the place with her instead of relaxing on the beach. A post shared by Nigel Benn (@nigelbennofficial) "We got there, I opened the door and I was well impressed, the view.
I tried to keep cool, but the agent could see I was impressed and by the time we had finshed, I had bought another larger one nearby - unbelievable - and something just hit me like man; this is where I want to be with my kids and my wife. I never realised all this existed just round the corner from England." However, in the early 2010s, Benn made another move, this time to Sydney, Australia.
Since settling Down Under, Benn has worked with troubled teenagers at the Blacktown PCYC and even had a grand 10-bedroom mansion built for his family. As one of the most iconic boxers of his generation, boasting a 42-5-1 record, it's no surprise that Benn has amassed an estimated £15million fortune, according to Celebrity Net Worth. A two-time world champion with victories over Gerald McClellan and Mauro Galvano, as well as a loss and a draw against Eubank Sr, much of his wealth is attributed to his boxing career.
In addition to his boxing success, Benn has also worked as a DJ, appeared on I'm A Celeb , and published an autobiography titled Dark Destroyer - a nod to his ring name. Furthermore, he has served as a patron of the Shannon Bradshaw Trust, a UK-based children's charity supporting youngsters with life-threatening conditions and their families. When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year.
You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
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