Joey Essex spoke about the fight with Connor Benn: how it went.

Joey Essex's boxing debut and memories of his father

According to The Sun: Joey Essex's father was lucky to avoid a showdown with Nigel Benn, but the reality star himself couldn't escape a fight with the son of boxing legend Connor.

Don Essex, Joey's father, was a renowned amateur, and only one match stood between him and a meeting in the ring with Nigel Benn, a future world champion.

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Joey shared his memories with SunSport:

“My dad boxed from the age of six, he had 13 fights and joined the Hollington club representing the South East division of ABA. He had 13 fights, and if he had beaten the next opponent, he would have fought Nigel Benn. My dad's next fight was with Nigel Benn!

“But at that time, my dad already had only 13 fights, while Nigel had around 120, so I think my dad was glad he didn't fight Nigel!”

Nigel was a world champion in both middleweight and super middleweight and one of the most famous boxers in Britain. Joey's uncle, Tony, also trained with Nigel and is now training his son Connor, who is eager to earn a title in the welterweight division.

Tony invited Joey to his gym in Romford, where he sparred with other boxers. Once, Joey and Connor sparred, after which Joey sustained serious bruises.

Essex said:

“I basically just let Connor hit me mercilessly. Tony and Connor thought it was funny, but then I was in a lot of pain, my kidneys were suffering.”

Connor suffered his first loss in April, losing a high-profile fight to Chris Eubank Jr.

Future plans

Now, 35 years after the two iconic fights of their fathers, Joey and Connor are planning a rematch on November 15 in Tottenham.

Joey, for his part, will debut at Misfits Boxing on Saturday in Manchester against Portuguese influencer Numeiro.

He turned down all TV or exhibition opportunities to focus on boxing, trying to make a statement in the celebrity boxing world.

Essex noted:

“I feel like this is a career change, and it's so strange to say that. The plans right now are to get more and better fights. This is for me; I see it as the beginning of something big. I'm taking it step by step.”

“After this fight, I'll take a little break and return to the gym. I don't want to be out of training for long. I want to get back to it. I'm here to take this on.”

Misfits/ boohooMAN Joey Essex's boxing debut opens a new chapter in his career, where he seeks to prove his abilities in the world of boxing. His connection to his father's boxing traditions and competition with young talent Connor adds a special meaning to his performances. Many boxing fans and media will be watching the development of these events, as both boxers have great potential to become stars in their category.