Is it insecurity, or does Nigel Benn just genuinely believe his son Conor Benn is that guy in the welterweight division? Back in 1990, Dark Destroyer tasted his second professional loss at the hands of Chris Eubank Sr. Their rematch ended in a draw, and the trilogy never happened. Now, decades later, the rivalry lives on through their sons—Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. And like any father, Nigel has full faith in his son’s skills. But here’s the thing: does backing your kid really require downplaying others in the game? Not really.

In the buildup to Conor Benn’s showdown with Eubank Jr., he’s been sparring with several top-tier fighters around the world in his camp in Mallorca, Spain—one of them being William Scull, the undefeated Cuban-German IBF champion set to face Canelo Alvarez on the massive Cinco de Mayo weekend in Riyadh on May 3. Scull might be a major underdog in that fight, but Nigel Benn, a few days ago, decided to bring down his stocks even further. In an IFL TV interview, Nigel Benn declared, “Conor put it on him. What does he do? Stopped sparring. William Scull, he’s all Light-Heavy… Conor put it on him. Couldn’t even come out for the 8th round.” This, as expected, rubbed some people the wrong way, especially Team William Scull. According to them, Nigel Benn’s got the narrative all wrong, and they’re ready to spill the tea hot.

William Scull’s promoter laments at the lack of sportsmanship

A few hours ago, IFL TV posted a video of Ingo Volckmann (William Scull’s promoter) on X. In the clip, he was seen sharing his thoughts from Mallorca, Spain, regarding the purported sparring session his fighter had with Conor Benn. According to Volckmann, the sparring session with Scull only lasted 8 rounds because that was the pre-determined plan—nothing more. He clarified, “We said make 8 rounds. We said we make one-minute stop. Because it was our first sparring. He was already doing some sparring. We said 8 rounds, we made 8 rounds.” Volckmann took a moment to laugh off the chatter about Scull’s performance against a smaller Benn. He seemed to take issue with the focus on Scull, suggesting, “Show it in the ring that your son is a good one. Don’t speak about Scull.”

Volckmann made it clear. “We got a good preparation,” mentioning their extensive sparring regimen, which included multiple rounds with different sparring partners. He emphasized that they weren’t looking to make claims about Benn’s preparation but instead wanted to focus on Scull’s readiness. The German promoter also pointed out that while some have been sending videos and speaking highly of Conor Benn, he felt the emphasis should be on something else. “Even if it be like this (zips his mouth). Nobody speaks about it, the sportsmanship,” he lamented. He reiterated that “William Scull is in good condition,” and ready for his next challenge.

He also took the opportunity to challenge Conor Benn’s camp, suggesting, “Next time when you in Mallorca, come to our gym.” And when that happens, “We make 14 rounds with him[Conor Benn].” For Volckmann, it wasn’t just about sparring; it was about showing “respect” for the sport and for one another, something he felt was lacking in the ongoing conversation. He urged people to focus on the facts, especially when it comes to preparing for big fights, and to avoid making false statements about the training that was or wasn’t done.

Looking ahead, Volckmann then praised Canelo as a true champion who doesn’t rely on talk but on his skills in the ring. Volckmann sees Scull as ready for that level of challenge. However, in the end, acknowledging the tough challenge that lies ahead in the May 3rd fight, Ingo Volckmann remarked, “I know it’s a really really hard one. But yeah, that’s a fight Conor Benn has to go a long way to reach that fight.” Yes, it was certainly a sharp jab, but what Conor Benn’s father said was equally harsh. So, what exactly sparked the tension between the two camps?

Conor Benn set to shine as the next big star in boxing

The sparring session between Conor Benn and William Scull has certainly stirred up some drama. Conor Benn’s father didn’t hold back when talking about the training camp in Mallorca. Speaking to Kugan Cassius, he said, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens in Mallorca, I’m telling you everything.” He then walked the reporter through the sparring sessions that showed just how sharp and dangerous Conor was.

First, he mentioned a British ABA champion whom Conor Ben handled easily. Then came British middleweight Denzel Bentley, who gave Conor Benn a tougher challenge. After that, it was Bruno Surace, the Frenchman who knocked out Jaime Munguia last year, and according to Nigel, Conor Benn had no problem with him either. But the real test came with William Scull, the IBF super middleweight champion, whom Nigel saw as the serious benchmark of their camp.

The 28-year-old’s father shared how the sparring went down, starting off with Conor Benn and El Indomable doing well. But by rounds four and five, Scull began to feel the pressure. Nigel recalled Scull saying, “Oh no, I need a minute,” and by round eight, Scull couldn’t even continue, as Conor Benn had pushed him so hard that the sparring had to be ended. The boxing veteran was adamant, saying, “He couldn’t even come out for the eighth round, God as my witness.”

With the May 3rd fight just around the corner, these kinds of assertions certainly do paint a bad look for William Scull. And now it raises the question: if Conor Benn can handle the heavier Scull, could he possibly knock out Chris Eubank Jr. as they step into the ring in just a few hours? What do you think?