Do protected boxers know they're protected?

[overhand_right]

Is it better to discover you're a fraud at low level or to be exposed in the main event of a colossal show in front of huge audience ala Conor Benn?

Conor surely would not have taken the fight if he thought he'd be outclassed and dumped on his arse early?

Ultimately Boxing is all about making the most money while taking the least amount of damage. So if you can bullsh*t your way to a few Multi-Million dollar paydays, I suppose you've made the right moves.

Even in losing, he simply got embarrassed, he didn't really get hurt.

While I would certainly like Benn's payday, if it came at the cost of global embarrassment and a clip that would be seen by tens of millions, perhaps over time hundreds of millions, I'd probably skip it.

[Kilburn]

I think Benn knew for sure, and once the fight arrived there was no hiding it.

I don’t usually read too much into pre fight nerves but to me, by the time Benn was having his hands wrapped and from that moment on, he was incapable of keeping the act going. There was no belief at all.

[golden_labrador]

Is it better to discover you're a fraud at low level or to be exposed in the main event of a colossal show in front of huge audience ala Conor Benn?

Conor surely would not have taken the fight if he thought he'd be outclassed and dumped on his arse early?

Ultimately Boxing is all about making the most money while taking the least amount of damage. So if you can bullsh*t your way to a few Multi-Million dollar paydays, I suppose you've made the right moves.

ultimately yes. they used his dad's name to earn ridiculous sums. I still don't fully understand how that was possible because Nigel Benn wasn't a GOAT or anything either - very good and entertaining in his day though. I was too young to see much before his Watson and Eubank fights. I guess it was Eddie Hearn who built this money-making machine.

[gilgamesh]

Is it better to discover you're a fraud at low level or to be exposed in the main event of a colossal show in front of huge audience ala Conor Benn?

Conor surely would not have taken the fight if he thought he'd be outclassed and dumped on his arse early?

Ultimately Boxing is all about making the most money while taking the least amount of damage. So if you can bullsh*t your way to a few Multi-Million dollar paydays, I suppose you've made the right moves.

Even in losing, he simply got embarrassed, he didn't really get hurt.

While I would certainly like Benn's payday, if it came at the cost of global embarrassment and a clip that would be seen by tens of millions, perhaps over time hundreds of millions, I'd probably skip it.

For the amount of money they're paying Conor Benn you could spit in my mouth and call me Sally

If the most embarrassing thing I ever did was lose a fight. I think I'd get over it pretty quick.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC gifted Benn a mandatory shot.

He 110% did not deserve:

Hadn’t fought at the weight in 4 years and campaigned at 160 for his last two fights.

Then had a ‘catch weight’ with Pragrais who was probably not even ranked as well

[paultom]

Garcia was also ranked about 13 places lower than Benn on Boxrec before the fight

[MasterG]

Once the hype machine begins rolling it's hard to stop it, it only stops when you gets a whooping!

Nigel was a decent fighter. But you only have to analyse his record to see why Watson schooled him. We are lucky now, we have records on hand widely seen on the internet and on sites such as this. Back in the day, when I looked at a boxers record I had to open the BBBoC year book, and that was usually behind after print.

I loved Nigel Benn, he was great to watch, far better viewing than Michael Watson. The media package was totally different. The hype machine was in full force for Benn, but Watson was way under the radar fighting better opposition and learning his trade that way. Benn was knocking out unknowns until he met Watson.

He fought 22 times before meeting Watson and the who news channels were all over him. The lad from Zambia who Benn met for the commonwealth, Michael Chilambe had only fought 6 times prior to a title shot and had fought absolutely zero in terms of talent, again you have to question how a boxer who moves from middle to light heavy, back to middle in 6 fights gets a title shot of Commonwealth value?

Michael Watson on the other hand is facing 11 British opponents who have been round the circuits before facing his first durable American journeyman.

Again once the hype train begins it not only effects the boxer and his team there are other influences that effect bodies and commissions. These get on the hype train too because they can smell the dollars.

Conor is not the only boxer and will not be the last, but boy if you get involved with the hype you have to take it on the chin when it all explodes.

Nigel said in a prezzer that Conor was better than himself, is that what he truly believed or is he now delusional because of the hype. Nigel Benn did not start the hype but certainly got hold of it and allowed it to continue.

As a father Benn should have had a grip on reality from his own experience but that can fade over time as the hype machine runs in full force.

How many times have we seen or heard, when we were kids, ' he's the hardest lad in school' but never saw that person fight? When I was a kid and moved to another school, I was told by mates not to mess with such and such as they are the hardest kids, but never saw them in action. Where does all this come from? It's from hype. It happens all over the world.

Anyway. Benn has apparently made over 40 million so it has worked for him. Yes he's got egg on his face but I'm sure 40 million will ease that. The only other thing is will the hype still continue. He could have all his hangers on say ' you were weight drained. That's the reason he beat you' 'you are still the best in the world's

Final thoughts. Conor told Garcia he hadn't come to America to be cuddled by him in the ring. Well Garcia didn't cuddle him, he gave the lad a ass kicking and showed the world what we knew all along.

[a force]

Once the hype machine begins rolling it's hard to stop it, it only stops when you gets a whooping!

Nigel was a decent fighter. But you only have to analyse his record to see why Watson schooled him. We are lucky now, we have records on hand widely seen on the internet and on sites such as this. Back in the day, when I looked at a boxers record I had to open the BBBoC year book, and that was usually behind after print.

I loved Nigel Benn, he was great to watch, far better viewing than Michael Watson. The media package was totally different. The hype machine was in full force for Benn, but Watson was way under the radar fighting better opposition and learning his trade that way. Benn was knocking out unknowns until he met Watson.

He fought 22 times before meeting Watson and the who news channels were all over him. The lad from Zambia who Benn met for the commonwealth, Michael Chilambe had only fought 6 times prior to a title shot and had fought absolutely zero in terms of talent, again you have to question how a boxer who moves from middle to light heavy, back to middle in 6 fights gets a title shot of Commonwealth value?

Michael Watson on the other hand is facing 11 British opponents who have been round the circuits before facing his first durable American journeyman.

Again once the hype train begins it not only effects the boxer and his team there are other influences that effect bodies and commissions. These get on the hype train too because they can smell the dollars.

Conor is not the only boxer and will not be the last, but boy if you get involved with the hype you have to take it on the chin when it all explodes.

Nigel said in a prezzer that Conor was better than himself, is that what he truly believed or is he now delusional because of the hype. Nigel Benn did not start the hype but certainly got hold of it and allowed it to continue.

As a father Benn should have had a grip on reality from his own experience but that can fade over time as the hype machine runs in full force.

How many times have we seen or heard, when we were kids, ' he's the hardest lad in school' but never saw that person fight? When I was a kid and moved to another school, I was told by mates not to mess with such and such as they are the hardest kids, but never saw them in action. Where does all this come from? It's from hype. It happens all over the world.

Anyway. Benn has apparently made over 40 million so it has worked for him. Yes he's got egg on his face but I'm sure 40 million will ease that. The only other thing is will the hype still continue. He could have all his hangers on say ' you were weight drained. That's the reason he beat you' 'you are still the best in the world's

Final thoughts. Conor told Garcia he hadn't come to America to be cuddled by him in the ring. Well Garcia didn't cuddle him, he gave the lad a ass kicking and showed the world what we knew all along.

They’re staggering figures for someone who I don’t even think is much of a ticket seller.

I think the Eubank - Benn rivalry is a ticket seller but I don’t think Benn on his own would sell out an arena fighting a foreign fighter.

I’d be very surprised if many fans travelled to Vegas & from what I remember of his fights pre-positive drugs test they often had other ticket sellers on the bill.

He was the ‘headline’ fighter when he fought in Liverpool but there was barely any atmosphere for his fight & all the crowd seemed to be there for the chief support Katie Taylor & the local Liverpool fighters.