Wim Hof – the Iceman, the man who has guided Navy SEALs, Olympians and global icons like Novak Djokovic through his method – believes Conor Benn’s biggest weapon in the rematch with Chris Eubank Jr won’t be his power or his speed.
It will be his breath and he’s on standby to help him harness it.
‘A fighter does not lose because of the body,’ Wim Hof says. ‘The body is strong. They lose because the mind gets hijacked by emotion. Breath is the remote control for the brain, especially under adrenaline. If Conor learns to command his breath, he will command the fight.’
Benn was accused of fighting with ‘too much emotion’ in the first clash with Eubank Jr – something Hof believes can be rapidly reconditioned with cold exposure and targeted breathing protocols designed to regulate adrenaline and reduce inflammatory stress in the body.
‘Adrenaline is not the enemy,’ Hof continues. ‘But if you don’t guide it, it becomes rage, tension, tunnel vision. Through deep breathing we create controlled adrenaline, clean fire. That fire gives you focus instead of frenzy.’
He points to the wave of American athletes now openly incorporating breathwork into elite preparation, from Steph Curry’s pre-shot rituals to Aaron Rodgers’ cold therapy routines.
Wim Hof is known as ‘The Iceman’ for his death-defying challenges of cold endurance
Eubank Jr (left) and Benn (right) will go toe-to-toe for a second time in November
Benn (left) lost their first fight, claiming he fought with too much emotion on the night
‘These champions have realised something simple,’ Hof says. ‘If you can breathe when the pressure is highest, you become untouchable. Boxing is 80 per cent emotional control. Conor has the skill. Now he must master his inner world.’
In typical fashion, Hof isn’t just giving advice from afar – he wants to stand in the cold with Benn and do the work.
‘Tell Conor I will come to camp. It’s not too late,’ he says. ‘I will sit with him in the ice, I will breathe with him until the emotion no longer controls him. Once he feels that switch, once he sees he can choose calm even when the heart is exploding – that is when the real fighter is born.’
According to Hof, cold immersion training and breathwork rapidly increase pain threshold and mental resilience – something he believes could be decisive in a rematch scenario filled with personal history and pressure.
‘In the cold, there is no ego,’ he explains. ‘If Conor learns to relax in ice, he will relax in the ring. He will see Eubank, but he will not react, he will respond. That difference is everything.’
But Hof says he wouldn’t just bring the breath – he’d bring the sound.
‘I have a new album, Freedom Into the Depths. I will play it in the gym. The rhythm is like breathing – inhale, exhale, power, release. Music can carry you into a deeper state where doubt disappears.’
A musician since he was 16, Hof’s debut single Freedom is the lead track of the upcoming 2026 album – a fusion of Sanskrit-inspired chants, flamenco guitar and meditative build-ups produced with longtime collaborator Tahir Burhan.
Hof is confident he can help Benn (centre) control his emotion in the rematch next month
He has offered to join Benn in camp to help him work on his breathing techniques
The song features soaring backing vocals from wellness advocate and global star Ekaterina Shelehova, designed to, in Hof’s words, ‘awaken the soul through sound.’
‘Breath, cold, music – these are not separate things,’ Hof says. ‘They are tools to open the mind. When the mind opens, the fighter becomes free. That is what this album is – not just songs, but a journey back to your inner power.’
Set for full release in January 2026 via Kartel Music and Smart Box Office, Freedom Into the Depths is being positioned not just as an album, but as a training companion for those pushing physical and mental limits.
A ten-minute sonic odyssey, the title track pulses like controlled breath, designed – as Hof insists – ‘to match the heartbeat of someone standing on the edge, ready to step into the fire.’
‘Let the cold teach you,’ Hof says. ‘Let the breath anchor you. Let the music carry you. If Conor does that, then emotion will not be his weakness – it will become his fuel.’
