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Nigel Benn
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Nigel Benn (born January 22, 1964) is an English former boxer who held world titles at both middleweight and super middleweight and was known as "The Dark Destroyer." He also served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. He attended Loxford School of Science and Technology, Ilford, Greater London.
comes from a sporting family that includes a famous cousin in the football world, Paul Ince. Benn had a record of 41 wins and 1 loss as an amateur boxer.
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Encyclopedia
Nigel Benn (born January 22, 1964) is an English former boxer who held world titles at both middleweight and super middleweight and was known as "The Dark Destroyer." He also served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. He attended Loxford School of Science and Technology, Ilford, Greater London.
Early boxing career
Benn comes from a sporting family that includes a famous cousin in the football world, Paul Ince. Benn had a record of 41 wins and 1 loss as an amateur boxer. He turned professional in 1987 with a win over Graeme Ahmed in Croydon. This win began a streak of 22 consecutive knockout wins for Benn. The streak extended until 1989. During this time Benn's accomplishments included beating Fermin Chirino, winning the British commonwealth middleweight title with a win over Abdul Umaru, and retaining it against David Noel, brother of former world lightweight champion Claude Noel.
In 1989 Benn fought Michael Watson and lost by a sixth-round knockout. His next fight, against Jorge Amparo in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was his first fight abroad and also the first to last the full distance, Benn eventually winning a 10 round decision.
First championship
After two more wins, Benn fought WBO middleweight champion Doug DeWitt in Atlantic City. Benn won the title by knocking out DeWitt in round eight.
His first defence came against former champion Iran Barkley on August 18, 1990, whom he knocked out in the first round. Benn returned to Europe and met British rival Chris Eubank. They fought in Birmingham on November 18, 1990. Benn lost his title to Eubank by a ninth-round knockout.
Second championship
In 1991, he beat Marvin Hagler's half brother, Robbie Sims, by a knockout in round seven, and then embarked on another winning streak, which would reach ten wins in a row.
On October 10, 1992, Benn fought Mauro Galvano for Galvano's World Boxing Council super middleweight title. He won the bout and the title by a fourth-round technical knockout. He defended it three times before meeting rival Chris Eubank again on October 9, 1993. This time they fought to a draw.
Benn defended his title two more times before defending it against middleweight champion Gerald McClellan in February 1995. In an exciting fight Benn was knocked through the ropes in the first round and was knocked down again in the eighth round, but came back to stop McClellan in the tenth.
Unfortunately, however, McClellan was severely injured as a result of the fight. After collapsing in his corner after the fight had finished, McClellan was rushed to hospital where it was discovered he had developed a blood clot on the brain. To this day McClellan is almost completely blind, partially deaf, and uses a wheelchair, although he has regained some movement and can walk with a cane. In 2007, McClellan, his wife and children attended a benefit dinner organized and hosted by Benn to help McClellan with his ongoing medical expenses.
Benn offered to fight 168 IBF champion Roy Jones in Roy's home town in a unification fight for Benn's WBC belt and even offered to give Jones the entire fight purse but Jones turned the fight down. Not being able to fight Jones was one of Benn's regrets as he explains in his autobiography Dark Destroyer.
Two more defences followed before Benn lost his title to Thulani Malinga in 1996. Benn attempted to take the WBO super middleweight title from Steve Collins but failed in both attempts. He retired following the second loss to Collins in 1996, pulling out of the fight at the end of the sixth-round.
Retirement
Nigel Benn retired from the sport of boxing and became a DJ, He later appeared in the first series of the ITV reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
Benn has since become deeply religious and now lives with his family on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where he is a born again Christian. He also became an ordained minister.
Benn's autobiography, published in 2001, is called Dark Destroyer.
Benn is also featured in the forthcoming documentary film "Fallen Soldier," directed by Bobby Razak, which examines his bout with McClellan.
Professional Career Summary
Nigel Benn has a record of 42 wins, 5 losses and 1 draw, with 35 wins by way of a knockout as a professional boxer.
Amateur Accomplishments
- Amateur boxing: 41 wins 1 loss
- Undefeated Welterweight for the First Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers between 1982 and 1984 - won titles all the way up to heavyweight and trained others in his regiment's boxing team
- 1986 ABA Middleweight Champion, avenging a previous loss to Rod Douglas.
See also
- Nigel Benn v Chris Eubank
External links
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