Son of former boxing champ Nigel Benn forced to apologise over ‘disrespectful’ footage of him mocking fellow boxer’s childhood disability
Conor Benn, 20, ridiculed Robin Deakin who was born with a club foot
THE boxer son of former world champion Nigel Benn was forced to apologise to a fellow fighter for mocking his childhood disability.
Conor Benn, 20, was captured in a video ridiculing 'Rockin' Robin Deakin, who was born with club foot and could not walk until he was six.
Deakin, 30 - dubbed Britain's worst boxer after losing 51 professional bouts in a row - challenged Conor to a fight on Twitter.
In reply Conor - son of the Dark Destroyer middleweight legend Nigel - appeared in a video online mocking Robin for his disability.
Footage shot by fellow boxer Ohara Davies at a training camp in Portugal last month shows Conor referring to Robin as "happy feet".
He is also seen showing a picture of child with club foot up to the camera and laughing.
Conor, who won his first six pro fights, says: "I think the British Board of Control should not give happy feet his licence because his feet look like that motherf***er, there."
He adds: "I feel sorry for happy feet, He wasn't loved when he was young. He was different. If you want I can raise a happy feet charity."
Conor also says in the video: "I think he is a p***y who needs money and feels he needs to call me out.
"Its a shame, he's a grown man. Stop picking on young kids man, your parents not teach you any manners. I'm a little kid and you need me for money."
The video has now been removed from Periscope.
A few days after the original video, Conor posted another video to apologise.
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He said: "I want to apologise for my Periscope about club foot disorder, it's been taken out of context.
"I was talking about Robin Deakin, he's been chasing me for a while, insulting me and going for it and I bit the bait and I really wanna apologise.
"It's nothing funny about it whatsoever, it's not what I'm about. Like I have said I am really sorry, there's nothing funny about it at all."
In a tweet he added: "What I said has been taken out of context because this individual wants a fight. I apologise to everyone. I bit the bait. I am only human."
Deakin says he is trying to get his British boxing licence back and believes he can beat the young Benn.
He said: "I've mixed with a lot of other better fighters than him, all he's living off is his father's name.
"But him being disrespectful and being the way he was in the video, I thought you can't be like that.
"Its disrespectful, and being who he his and having a big following like he does, it was not nice.
"That was exposed to hundreds and thousands of followers and I thought it was disrespectful and rude.
"I was embarrassed. People know my circumstance and with trolls on social media, I've had a lot of abuse and fake profiles calling me a spastic and other things and its hurting if I am honest.
"If I am that bad he should come out and we can fight like men. He is a young man and he should know better as role model for kids."
He said since the video was posted he has new followers on social media with children with club foot giving him support.
Deakin is still trying to get a fight with Benn and says he will give any money from the fight to a club foot charity.
He said: "I want to prove to him and the world of boxing that it doesn't matter how you were born, you can still follow your dreams.
"I may not be the best fighter in the world but I've got the talent to inspire other people and that's what I want to do."
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