‘He nearly put me in hospital’ – Joey Essex reveals brutal sparring session with Conor Benn ahead of Ryan Garcia fight

JOEY ESSEX was almost hospitalised after sparring with Conor Benn – but still backs his pal against Ryan Garcia. Essex – a legend of British reality TV – is the nephew of Benn’s coach Tony Sims and a regular face in their Romford gym. Joey Essex was almost hospitalised due to sparring Conor Benn The two are good friends and train in the same gym Credit: Getty The Only Way is Essex icon is a Misfits Boxing star himself now having spent years training with Sims’ stable. But ruthless Benn – who faces Garcia on Saturday night – refused to take it easy on the boxing beginner during a particularly savage body spar. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! And it left Essex’s liver so battered he almost checked into hospital. He said on SunSport’s No Glove Lost episode on YouTube: “I rang my uncle Tony and after the sparring, I did think I had to go hospital. “I said to him out of breath I think I’m gonna like p**s blood or whatever. No, he said to me you might p**s blood. Right. “I had to go to an event after. I sparred Conor, but you’d think he’d go easy. But he don’t go easy! “He takes every person the same way. I mean he didn’t go too crazy, but he nearly put me in hospital.” Essex won his debut in Misfits – home to celebrity-style crossover bouts – last August and returns for his second bout in October. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Garcia vs Benn - all the info Meanwhile Benn, 29, challenges Garcia, 28, for the American’s WBC welterweight world title in Las Vegas. He travels Stateside as an underdog against the superstar champion – but he has Essex backing his corner. Joey said: “Ryan Garcia is a perfect person to fight in Conor’s situation for sure. “Ryan’s probably the biggest say social media star in boxing, I would say, personally. There’s no other bigger person doing it like him. “He’s on Kick, he’s streaming, he’s just always doing his boxing on his speed ball and all that. “And also I do think like when Conor talked a lot about heart, I do believe that Conor’s heart is way bigger than Ryan’s. “Ryan has technically quit like before, do you know what I mean? So, I think Conor’s got it, personally. And not just cause he’s my mate.” Comment now