“Now I’m Addicted to Ecstasy”: Boxing Legend Nigel Benn on Drug Addition, Suicidal Tendencies, and Mutilation

In the annals of boxing, few names shine as brilliantly as that of Nigel Benn, a man whose fists spoke louder than his words. Yet, the voice that echoes in the corridors of his mind harbors stories far more harrowing than any uppercut or hook. Have you ever wondered what secrets hide behind the glint of a champion’s belt, the roar of the crowd, the blood, and the sweat? Picture the roar of the crowd fading, the bright lights dimming, and the ring receding into the distance.

What remains when the world stops watching, and a legend is left alone with his thoughts? In a recent podcast with IFL TV, Benn opened a door to the unseen corner of his life, narrating tales that speak of the darkness that occasionally descends upon even the brightest stars. Brace yourself, for you’re about to embark on a journey into the storm that raged within the “Dark Destroyer.”

A damning confession: The dark side of ecstasy

Speaking on the latest IFL TV podcast, Benn gives a frank account of his life that defies the conventional imagery of a sporting hero. He begins with a startling revelation, “Now I’m addicted to Ecstasy,” a confession that immediately shatters the façade of invincibility that fans often attribute to their idols. The tale takes a grimmer turn as he delves into the mental battles he has had to wage. “And then you had all these suicides. Suicide was playing on my mind for so many years,” Benn confesses, opening up about the demons that often lurk in the minds of even the most accomplished.

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn when he recounts an instance where his exterior of toughness crumbled. He recalls a moment when, overwhelmed by his struggles, he could do nothing but let his emotions flow freely. “And she said to me, are you alright? And I just broke out crying,” he admits, bearing witness to the fact that beneath the brawny surface of a boxer lies a human capable of vulnerability.

A life lost in tragedy

Unveiling another grim chapter of his past, Benn narrates a grisly incident. “He was pushed through a window, cut his groin and bled to death,” he says, a haunting reminder of the violence that existed outside the ring, and the tragic end it can lead to. His journey is further marred by racial slurs, an ugly aspect of society that he had to endure. “Everyone shouted out you, you coon and all this all the time. We had to put up with that all the time mate.”

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Benn’s personal life suffered in tandem with his internal struggles. He speaks about the pain of estrangement from his loved ones, particularly his children. “I think my marriage, that was the hardest thing, because now I’m separated from my kids.” He also admitted, “I had a hose attached to the exhaust and it came through Caroline’s car.”

As Benn shares his experiences, he paints a raw, unfiltered portrait of a champion boxer who faced some of his most formidable opponents outside the boxing ring.

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