Nigel Benn

Nigel Benn ( born January 22, 1964 in London, London, England ) is a British former boxer who was known by his fighting name "The Dark Destroyer". He was world champion of the WBO middleweight world champion and the WBC super middleweight.

Career

He began his career as a successful amateur boxer. His record is 41 wins and just one defeat. This he suffered against the four-time English champions and Olympians from 1984, Rod Douglas. In 1986, he was among other things with wins over Mark Edwards and Johnny Melfah, British middleweight champion.

In January 1987, he started his professional career, winning his first 22 fights in a row by knockout, including eleven in the first round. He suggested several national champions and title holders, five boxers even suffered their first defeat against him. Already on 20 April 1988, he won the Commonwealth champion middleweight title and defended it three times successfully.

On 21 May 1989 he suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he claimed spectacular fight the triple world title challenger Michael Watson by technical knockout defeated in the 6th round. In his next three fights, he could all win, he won for the first time on points. On 29 April 1990, he boxed in Atlantic City for the world championship title of the WBO middleweight against the Americans Doug DeWitt (32 ( wins) -6 ( Loss ) -4 ( draw ) ). Benn scored a precipitate already in the 3rd round, in round 8 DeWitt had three times to the ground and lost by technical knockout

On 18 August, he defended his title in Las Vegas against the Americans Iran Barkley ( 25-6-0 ), former WBC champion at middleweight and later WBA and IBF world champion at super middleweight and light heavyweight. Barkley was in spite of its balance sheet by washed-out fight as a serious opponent, with knockout victories over Thomas Hearns ( 45-2-0 ) and Darrin Van Horn ( 47-2-0 ) caused a sensation. However, Benn won the fight already in the 1st round by TKO after Barkley had gone three times to the ground and was taken out of the fight by the referee because of its inferiority.

On November 18, 1990, there arrived in Birmingham for the third title defense against his unbeaten countryman Chris Eubank ( 24-0-0 ). Benn landed several hits and effect Eubank had in the 8th round on the floor, but was taken in round 9 of the referee out of the fight, after he himself suffered serious head hits. For Benn this defeat weighed particularly difficult, as it was, in anticipation of the fight between the two boxers to hostility.

Benn then went on to super middleweight and struck out six potential world title challenger, including the later, two-time WBC champion Thulani Malinga from South Africa.

Due to his achievements he received on 3 October 1992, in the Italian Marino the chance of the WBC world title against Italian champions Mauro Galvano ( 21-1-2 ). Benn won the fight by t.K.o. in the 4th round after Galvano was taken out of the fight due to Cutverletzungen. In the months that followed he defended the title in a rematch against Mauro Galvano unanimously, as well as by co against Nicky Piper ( 16-1-1 ) and Lou Gent ( 22-8-2 ).

On October 9, 1993, there arrived in Manchester to a rematch with the still unbeaten Chris Eubank, who had also risen to super middleweight and held the WBO world title. This time the fight ended in a draw, so both boxers retained their title. Benn defended his title then still unanimous decision against undefeated, later European champion Henry Wharton, and also by unanimous decision against the South American champion and four-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra.

On February 25, 1995, he met in his seventh title defense in London on the former WBO and WBC middleweight champion Gerald McClellan from the USA, who played against Benn his first fight at super middleweight. McClellan had won 31 of his previous 33 professional fights, including 29 KOs, 20 of which were already in the 1st round to pass. The fight went down in boxing history as one of the most spectacular and hardest duels.

McClellan was looking at the beginning of the fight the Co Benn and drove through non-stop punch combinations into the ropes. In the first 40 seconds of the fight Benn flew through seven consecutive head and body shots out of the ring, but was a second before he would have been counted to climb back into it. In the following rounds both boxers gave a sustained slugfest, with both more than once came to the edge of a precipitate. In round 8 Benn went again to the ground and was down for the count, but was able to fight again. In Round 9 Benn came after a failed right out of balance and slammed his head against the end of McClellan. On lap 10 McClellan knelt without being taken down for a few seconds, but came back on their feet. But a short time later, he knelt down again and was counted out by the referee. He had already pushed several times due to breathing problems, his mouth guard forward between the teeth and blinked incessantly, what was the referee but apparently not noticed. McClellan then collapsed in his corner and was taken to hospital, where he was a blood clot had to be removed from the brain in an emergency operation.

Also Benn collapsed still in his cabin and was admitted to the same hospital. McClellan was eleven days in a coma, suffered two strokes and a heart attack. He is almost blind, deaf and reliant to 80% on his wheelchair and taking care of his family. He also suffers from massive gaps in memory. Benn apologized for his derogatory remarks he still expressed in the ring immediately after his victory over his opponents and took over a large part of the cost of treatment. The fate McClellan seemed to have taken him clearly.

Although he defended his title five months later by TKO in round 8 against the eventual WBC champion Vincenzo Nardiello and on September 2, 1995 by TKO in round 7 against Danny Perez, but then lost three fights in a row and ended his career. Two of those defeats he suffered by whacked against the Irishman Steve Collins, the third on points against Thulani Malinga, he had in 1992 defeated yet.

Private

Benn is the son of immigrants from Barbados. One of his cousins ​​is the former footballer Paul Ince.

He currently lives with his family in Australia and has worked as a priest. He describes himself as a born-again Christian.

In 2007 he organized a charity event for McClellan in London, with both boxers met for the first time in 12 years one another again. At the event, attended by many boxers and other known personalities over $ 200,000 in donations came together.