Eubank Jr vs Benn: Conor Benn and the battle beyond the ropes

When Conor Benn steps into the ring on Saturday night to face Chris Eubank Jr in front of a sold-out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he will be fighting more than just his opponent.

Not only will he have to physically contend with Eubank Jr, but echoes of his father’s rivalry with his opponent’s namesake will combine with the sons’ new-found animosity.

He is also likely to face ire from sections of the 65,000-strong crowd – many of whom remain sceptical of Benn’s protests surrounding his adverse drug test finding in 2022.

But that all pales in comparison to the demons he has had to face outside the ring, fighting legal battles in a bid to clear his name and preserve his identity.

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It takes more than physical strength to step into the squared circle with the intent to hurt another human – while risking damage yourself. Boxing is a breeding ground for masculinity; bravado is the common currency in the build-up to any bout.

At first glance, Benn fits the mould to a tee: lean, heavily tattooed and brash about his abilities, the 28-year-old both looks and acts the part.

Some may feel that swaggered image was undermined when Benn opened up about feeling isolated, shamed and suicidal in the aftermath of his failed drug tests.

Used to performing under the spotlight, Benn suddenly found himself on the receiving end of intense public scrutiny. Social media backlash collided with ongoing investigations from sporting bodies. He suffered from panic attacks and night terrors.

A few months after his initial suspension, Benn admitted to suicidal thoughts when interviewed by Piers Morgan.

“Yeah, I’d say so. It upsets me now because I don’t know how I got so bad. I was having night terrors, panic attacks. I was in a really bad way and I was coping terribly with it. I was taking it day by day. I didn’t think I’d see another day.”

Not alone in the struggle

Benn is far from the first boxer to speak candidly about his mental health – and hopefully won’t be the last.

In 2019, light-heavyweight Liam Cameron found himself in a similar position after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. He denied knowingly taking the substance and was offered a two-year suspension if he accepted the charge. Instead, he chose to fight – and received a four-year ban from UK Anti-Doping.

“I was ranked number two in Britain, 11 in the world, Commonwealth champion, everything was going good for me,” Cameron told The Independent.

“Then I got this letter through, saying I tested positive – I didn’t even know the name of what I got banned for.

“You look into it and it (is found in) cocaine. So that was it – I didn’t hear from boxing people again.”

Turned away by the sport, Cameron initially found no solace in training. Alcohol and food became coping mechanisms. His health deteriorated until he was rushed to hospital twice. From there, he began to tackle his depression by returning to the gym.

While open now, Cameron admitted he never planned to share his struggles.

“With me, I had no choice to come out with it – it weren’t planned to come out, about my mental health,” he said. “It was just that bad in my life, it was obvious.

“I was 19 stone, depressed, couldn’t even get up out of bed some days. It weren’t like I’ve come out and I wanted to make a story of it. It just happened after the first (Ben) Whittaker fight, everyone jumped on it.”

When rebuilding isn’t an option

Not every fighter gets the chance to rebuild. Anthony Ogogo was a rising star after winning bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games, later signing with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

Fighting both in the UK and US, Ogogo enjoyed an unbeaten start to his professional career. But a fractured eye socket in a 2016 bout with Craig Cunningham marked the beginning of the end.

Years of failed surgeries followed. Eventually, Ogogo was forced to retire in 2019 – a once-promising career cut brutally short.

He summed up his relationship with the sport using a striking metaphor.

“It’s like my high school sweetheart, my first love and a very bitter divorce. Boxing got the kids, the dog, and the house. I had to go start again.”

During his time in boxing, mental health was never part of the conversation.

“It was never discussed. I mean, boxing is a dinosaur sport. I’m not shitting on boxing when I say that; I’m talking from my heart.

“Was mental health ever discussed on the GB squad? Was it bollocks.

“But then again, I was a 21-year-old kid, I didn’t care. I wanted to be the best boxer on the planet. I wanted to win the Olympic Games.”

It didn’t get better in the professional ranks.

“It’s even worse,” Ogogo added. “Professional boxing is way less professional than Olympic-level boxing.

“On the GB squad, it’s super professional, it’s structured. Pro boxing, it’s Cowboys and Indians. It’s not structured at all. Pro boxing, it’s not a sport, it’s a business. When business is involved, it’s about money.

“There are so many examples in the folklore of boxing where boxers are just used, abused, and spat out by promoters, by managers, by this, by that.

“When I was (boxing), there was nobody to talk to. Boxing is the most macho sport of all – you can’t show emotion, you can’t show pain, you want to be a tough guy.”

Fighting on, even when it hurts

Boxers are often portrayed as paragons of masculinity – brave, proud, stoic. But even the most iconic names, from Tyson Fury to Ricky Hatton, have sought help for mental health issues.

Inside the ring, you’re never truly alone. There’s always someone in your corner. But outside of it, isolation is easier to find.

Benn, like many others, found a strange kind of normality in routine – even when that routine felt unbearable.

“I didn’t want to fight. I was just tired, training was hard,” he told Ring magazine recently.

“I wasn’t me – how can you be you? How can you be you after going through what you went through, without dealing with it. Without knowing how to cope, or how to deal with it.

“I was training, and I didn’t even want to train. I showed more discipline, more work ethic, more ambition, more integrity than anyone would have in that stage of their career.

“Going through that sort of adversity and still managing to turn up to the gym. You think I wanted to train?

“I didn’t want to train at all, I couldn’t even stand the sight of the gym. I couldn’t even stand the idea of the gym. It was just a matter of getting to the gym. I was driving to the gym crying, struggling. Just get to the gym. Just walk into the gym. Just take that step.”

Life after the ring

In 2018, after years of pain and unsuccessful surgeries, Ogogo reached breaking point. He began posting videos on social media, sharing the toll it had taken.

“It was two-and-a-half years of pain, the torture of the eyes, the surgery, all succumbed into this moment,” Ogogo recalled.

“I did a post on Twitter which was me just being open – ‘I’m fucking done with this, why is it so hard? I just want to box – why can’t I do the thing I love doing?’”

After officially retiring in December 2019, Ogogo contemplated suicide. He credits his wife with saving him.

Now, he’s taken his journey into a new career as a coach and professional wrestler, running OgogoFitness alongside his appearances for AEW.

Cameron has also found his way back. Last weekend, he headlined his own show in a defeat to Ben Whittaker, cheered on by a crowd who understand the weight of his comeback.

And Benn? His fight with Eubank Jr, once cancelled in the wake of a doping controversy, has become one of the most anticipated bouts in recent British history.

It’s a stage few fighters get to reach – and one all three once thought might never come.

“When I went back to boxing, I never thought I’d box again,” Cameron said.

“I was too far gone in my eyes. So it just shows you what you can do if you want to do something.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.