Nigel Benn has stated he will step away from his son Conor's boxing career permanently, regardless of the outcome of his upcoming fight against WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia. The retired world champion has been a constant presence in his son's corner, including his victory over Chris Eubank Jr., but Benn expressed a desire to let Conor manage his own path forward.
Despite this declaration, Nigel Benn remains deeply involved in his son's preparation for the bout with Garcia. He has identified a tactical approach to counter Garcia's speed and power, drawing parallels to his own fighting style. "When he goes under pressure, what happens? He falls and his heart doesn't go into it," Nigel Benn said of Garcia. "For the first time, [Conor] is actually sitting there listening. He has to be not the destroyer, he has to be the Dark Destroyer. Controlled aggression."
Nigel Benn believes his son should adopt a strategy of "suffocating, bobbing aggression," urging Conor to "not give him [Garcia] room. Roll under his punches, left hook to the body, left hook to the head. He knows what to do."
The atmosphere of the Las Vegas spotlight evokes memories for Nigel Benn of his own challenging 1995 fight against Gerald McClellan. He sees similarities in the public perception of Conor's chances against Garcia, noting, "Everybody had me to be blown out within round three. Exactly the same thing as what they do with Conor. And I know he's going to prevail."
Whether Nigel Benn will indeed remain absent from his son's corner after this fight is uncertain, particularly if Conor Benn wins the WBC belt. The elder Benn stated, "I can walk out of that arena, go home, and be with my family, and that's it." However, he acknowledged that if Conor wins, he wouldn't bet against being present for his son's title defense.