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Nigel Benn seemed in high spirits all night, posing for endless pictures with his fans and play-fighting with friends.

His WBO belt was auctioned for the children鈥檚 charity Blazing Saddles, at the City Warriors white collar boxing event, All Guns Blazing 2, at the Emirates Stadium.

The tension was palpable behind the scenes where the boxers were warming up to fight, some of them for the first time.

Johann Sao Paolo, one of the coaches at the London Fight Factory, says that before their fighters enter the ring they focus on building up their confidence:

鈥漌e tell them to remember their game and they鈥檒l do great鈥�, he explained.

鈥淭he hardest fight is against yourself鈥� said one of the fighters afterwards, wiping blood from his nose and managing to smear it across his face. 鈥淚ts hard to focus and remember everything you鈥檝e been taught.鈥�

The highlight of the evening was William Fearn, an insurance solicitor, who trains at the London Fight Factory and fought the last match of the night.

He says his family couldn鈥檛 understand why he wanted to do it, but supported him when they realised how committed he was.

His girlfriend 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have much choice as she is in Turkey,鈥� he jokes, in an accent more reminiscent of tea parties than the Fight Club.

William says his biggest fear before stepping into the ring was getting his nose broken:

鈥淎fter training so hard you kind of know where you are with the boxing鈥�, he explains. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to do it again, but it takes up so much time and now I want to fight in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.鈥�

鈥淭hey come to us and we show them how to forget money and discover sport鈥�, Johann comments with a wicked grin.

The exact amount raised on the night will be disclosed at a later date, but the organiser at City Warriors said: 鈥渨e estimate the figure to be around three or four thousand pounds.鈥�

Despite recent hand-wringing at the Emirates about whether to host world boxing championship events when the Premiership ends in May, no objection was made to the amateur tournament taking place.