Church told me I was possessed by demons aged 12 - Benn

3 hours ago7 min read2 comments

At the heart of Conor Benn’s story is a battle far removed from the bright lights and roaring crowds of the boxing ring—a deeply personal struggle with a faith that turned from sanctuary to torment. The British welterweight, whose torso is a canvas of devotion with a large cross and the stark proclamation 'Fear God', has carried the scars of a fundamentalist Christian upbringing in Mallorca that left him psychologically battered long before he ever faced an opponent.From the outside, his childhood in a Spanish mansion and attendance at a private school painted a picture of luxury, but the reality was a claustrophobic world where Christmas was deemed blasphemous and the constant prophecy was the world's imminent end. The true trauma crystallized around age twelve, when the school's authorities, wielding immense influence over his vulnerable parents, diagnosed him as 'demon-possessed.' Benn recounts the profound fear that became his daily companion—waking up petrified from recurring nightmares, genuinely questioning if the anti-Christ had arrived, and internalizing a belief that he was fundamentally flawed. This was a period when his father, the legendary former world champion Nigel Benn, was himself adrift, grappling with a sex addiction and a suicide attempt that led him to seek solace and direction from the very church that was orchestrating his son's torment.Nigel even lived with the pastors for a year, leaving a young Conor feeling isolated and without an anchor. The experience forged a 'troubled and angry' young man, whose resentment towards his father festered until a pivotal moment at age 18 in Australia, following an arrest, led to a tearful reconciliation and the beginning of a long healing process.It took years of therapy, honest conversations, and shared vulnerability for Conor to forgive his father, a journey that has ultimately transformed Nigel back into his hero. Now, as Benn prepares for his legacy-defining rematch with Chris Eubank Jr., this history informs every punch he throws. He carries the lessons from that dark chapter, having survived a very public vilification over a failed drugs test—a two-year ordeal where his father was his unwavering pillar—and emerged with a more resilient, nuanced faith. He still prays daily, a testament to his refusal to let his traumatic past define his relationship with God, and he steps into the ring not just to avenge a loss, but as a man who has already fought and won his most difficult battle, pouring his heart out for a public he is slowly winning back, one gutsy performance at a time.

#featured

#Conor Benn

#boxing

#Chris Eubank Jr

#childhood trauma

#religion

#forgiveness

#father-son relationship

#rematch

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