Conor Benn calls out Chris Eubank Jr’s ‘sufferer mentality’ after defeated boxer posted regarding footage of his pre-fight ordeal following shattering defeat in November

Conor Benn says he felt little surprise when he saw the video Chris Eubank Jr released in the weeks after their rematch, showing himself motionless on a hospital bed, hooked up to machines and surrounded by medical staff. 

The footage sparked widespread concern across boxing, intensified calls for Eubank Jr to retire and prompted an outpouring of sympathy online. 

Benn, however, is unmoved by the reaction and believes the focus should be less on the image itself and more on why it was shared in the first place.

‘I heard he had IBS throughout the last parts of training camp,’ Benn said. ‘I heard it after the fight as well, or he’s got a stomach cyst or whatever it is. 

‘Ultimately, I’m not really too concerned, to be honest. I know it’s not a serious health condition. I think people need to look deeper into the reasons as to why it’s posted. There’s a certain pattern here of sympathy vote and a victim mentality.’

Benn is careful not to dismiss health concerns outright, but he is clear that, in his view, suffering is part of the profession and not something fighters should use to reframe a defeat. 

Conor Benn has hit out at Chris Eubank Jr’s ‘victim mentality’ after his defeat 

Eubank Jr shared footage of him in hospital seemingly unconscious last month (above)

The son of former two-weight world champion Nigel Benn points to his own experiences as an example of what boxers routinely endure without public complaint. 

‘You don’t see pictures of me making 152 for my fight in Vegas and I’m on the floor in a blanket, struggling to make the weight,’ he said. 

‘Ultimately it’s just part of the game. It’s part of the sport we do. We’re modern-day gladiators. You’ll never hear me moan about anything.’

He recalls entering a rematch of his own while carrying a serious injury, without once suggesting it should temper the result. 

‘For one of my fights, I tore my tendon in my last spar of camp,’ Benn said. ‘That was my rematch against the Frenchman who had put me down in the first fight. 

‘Torn tendon, asthma, all of it and I’m good. I’m not here for sympathy. You’re in the wrong game if you want the sympathy of the public. No one cares.’

Benn acknowledges that Eubank Jr, like every fighter, faced challenges in camp, but insists that choosing to fight means accepting responsibility for the outcome.

‘Nobody has a perfect camp,’ he said. ‘I had issues in the first fight as well. There were things throughout camp that were challenging and we had to work around them, but you’ll never hear me make excuses. 

‘Give the man his roses, give him his flowers, and that’s it. You either thought you were good enough to get in there on the night, or you weren’t. Either you believed it, or you were scamming the public into thinking there was going to be another fight of the year.’

For Benn, the result settled the matter. ‘Ultimately, he thought he was good enough to come in and beat me on the night,’ he said. ‘Ultimately, he wasn’t. 

‘First time around, I took his soul. I could see it. He’s not the same and he never will be the same again. I’ve got his soul right here, right here, in my hands.’

That belief underpins Benn’s view that Eubank Jr should now walk away from the sport, not out of spite, but out of pragmatism and concern. 

‘He will never get his soul back,’ Benn said when asked whether his rival could recover from the loss in November. 

‘I’m not giving it back to him. Should he retire? He should retire, yeah. He should call it a day. He’s got paid lovely for his last two fights. First fight was close, second fight he got battered in. If I was him, and I was his team, I’d call it a day.’

Despite the rivalry and obvious animosity, Benn insists his stance is rooted in the realities of boxing rather than personal malice. 

‘Do I like him? No. Do I think he’s a prat? Yes,’ he said. ‘But ultimately we’re fighters, and you want to see him leave this game without any injuries, especially not permanent injuries. It’s an unforgiving sport. We both know that first-hand. Don’t overstay your welcome.’

Eubank Jr has spoken publicly about health problems, brutal weight cuts and personal struggles, and has hinted at a possible comeback once he is ‘100 per cent’. 

Benn is unconvinced but leaves the door open if his rival insists on continuing. ‘If he wants to fight, I’ll happily beat him up at 168,’ Benn said. ‘No problem. I’ll do it for free.’