Christian boxer Conor Benn has reflected on the profound impact his faith and upbringing had on his life, sharing memories of a childhood spent in a deeply religious environment.
“I lived in a beautiful home, a beautiful mansion, and went to private school. It was very heavily Christian, very religious. School was very extreme, and church was very extreme,” he told BBC Sport.
While reflecting on the upbringing he experienced, Benn said that even celebrations commonly associated with faith were restricted.
“Christmas was blasphemy, so we couldn't celebrate it. Everything was just a lot.”
Conor Benn attended a fundamentalist Christian school, with life being highly regimented.
As a result, around age 12, Benn said he was told he was “demon‑possessed”, an experience he later called “very traumatic".
“You were waking up in the morning and not knowing whether the anti‑Christ was here. Looking back, because I don't often reflect on it, you think it's pretty evil,” he explained.
The influence of pastors extended into his home life, with the emotional toll evident.
“I was having nightmares, this recurring nightmare, and would wake up petrified.”
His father, former boxing champion Nigel Benn, was also navigating personal struggles, including periods of vulnerability and absence from the family home.
Benn told the BBC: “My dad had gone through things in life that I couldn't understand. I was too young. He had moved out [of the family home] and lived with the pastors for a year.”
The church leader’s authority left Benn feeling isolated, with him admitting: “They had me fooled because I thought there was something wrong with me.”
Despite these challenges, Benn’s Christian faith remains central to his identity. His tattoos, including a large cross, reflect his ongoing commitment to God, and he credits faith with helping him process past trauma even after a difficult upbringing.
Benn will face Chris Eubank Jr in a highly anticipated rematch on Saturday, 15th November, after losing their first bout earlier this year.