Nigel Benn, and the people advising Conor, are irresponsible.

I know we've just had a big debate about Conor's last performance, but I wanted to touch on people's thoughts about his management. Firstly, see Benn's reflections on his own performance below:

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I give him credit for his honesty (although given the state of his mug, he can't really lie) and for taking the time to thank his supporters. But a couple of things he said bared his naivety:

"Most fighters don't get tested" - obviously totally untrue. The good ones don't get their faces smashed in, though. He can be proud of his bravery, of course, but the lad needs to understand he is not in there to take beatings.

"When all the boxing goes out the window, all there is, is heart and determination and grit" - there's an element of truth to that, but again, does he realise the aim is to hit and not get hit?

I don't think the lad understands what he's signed up for, and if I were Nigel I wouldn't be allowing this to happen. Is he getting the right advice? Look at Eubank Sr, he sent Jr to Vegas at 17 to learn his trade, to work at the Mayweather/Top Rank gyms. He was out there for a good few years. Sr didn't just let Jr dive headfirst into the lion's den. Conor made his US TV debut the other week! it's too much too soon. Eddie is a businessman, he thinks only about the $, not safety. It's too late to go back to the amateurs - I think(?) - but he needs to slow his career right down. He needs a couple of years in the leisure centres before being re-introduced to the public imo. That seems to be what Frank is doing with Harley Benn, rightly so.

Mike Tyson once said "people think boxing is a tough guy sport, this is not a tough guy sport. It's a thinking man's sport. A tough guy is going to get hurt real bad in this sport". Right now Conor Benn is a tough guy, without the tools to defend himself. These type of wars are dangerous. If he gets seriously hurt then the irresponsible people who are managing him, including his dad, will be to blame.

 

I agree with so much in your post. I was disheartened to be honest by the video clip. Yes, he bangs on about having heart, and he’s justified that he has plenty of it but I think he seriously needs protecting from himself. He’s already fighting opponents below area level and he’s getting hurt really badly. If that was my son i’d be heartbroken. He’s going to end up with a bleed on the brain fighting like that and his dad and EH need to put an arm round him, and keep him off the telly for a couple of years.

 

You are 100% correct. How many times has Hearn put him on ppv and really promoted the **** out of it? Fans demand he has to step up because he is being sold as the next big thing.

Matchroom/Sky really need to reasses their boxing output imo. Let the lad learn his trade away from the limelight. What is wrong with that?!? He just may not be good enough but atleast he wont be risking his health so severley

Dubois is a big KO waiting to happen too imo

 

The arrogance he exuded recently was ridiculous. The idiot genuinely thought he was the next big thing.

 

Exactly. Why is it fighters can't make their own decisions and need to be "advised" on every little thing. The kid isn't the brightest admittedly.

Eubank Snr is too hands on, whereas Nigel Benn doesn't seem to get involved at all. You need something in the middle.

 

For my money he's a cocky little **** who got bashed up and utterly deserved it.

Why should I care about PPV Benn any more than I would about the countless journeymen who make their living a much harder way than he does without any real chance of the limelight he has been so enjoying?

 

I was really surprised how banged up he was, let's get it right, he was fighting a man who is now on boxrec ranked 490 in the world.

I didn't know there was that many welterweights in the world LOL

 

Yeah, i'm seeing a young man blowing smoke up his own arse for nothing really...If he carries on like this he wont make the British title. His chat tells me hes not going far

 

Remember the little pr*ck was taking the p*ss out of down syndrome sufferers a while back?

 

Close your eyes , add a lisp and you would think its Nigel talking , and he is a big headed little ***** who believes what is father says about him, and his father is just that a typical boxing father who thinks his son is the best .

What this kid needs is a new trainer , one who tells Eddie forget it were not ready for all the hype yet , and tells his father ****off i'm the trainer not you

 

And let' be honest small hall promoters would love to have them on their shows, as he's a name has a profile and would loom great st that level. Plus when Hearn goes around the country he works with many such promoters in putting their fighters on his undercards

 

It would do him the world of good mate. He’s clearly putting a huge amount of pressure on himself on these Matchroom shows in trying to make a knockout statement, when he should be concentrating on learning the fundamentals. He could do that out the limelight on one of these small hall shows.

 

He should of done 3 or 4 seasons in the amateurs over here. Get in the ABAs and learn the proper way. But money talks.

 

He WAS rushed due to EUBANK Jrs success, Nigel Benn confirmed this on talksport ages ago. Heard today on talk sport boxing podcast (cartteral is a casual *******) Nigel talking about how he didn't want Connor to box etc but sparred with him when he was 15/16 and Connor was amazing apparently...

Connor Benn is an a average fighter and the hype has got way out of hand sadly. Biggest problem was he believed the hype.

I had to unfollow him on twitter, it was cringeworthy. I was at the public workout a while back for a Burns fight (can't think against who) and I noticed some wee guy swanning about dressed in bright red as if he owned the placed, didn't know who it was and it turned out to be Connor Benn and this was 2/3 years ago.

I wish him luck and I hope that humbling he got will give him the shock he needs and matchroom give him room to improve and mature.

 

He seems to be surrounded by people who will just tell him how great he is the whole time with a desire to piggyback off any success.

He’s only young but appears to have a tremendous ego. Harley seems far more grounded.