Nigel Benn

Nigel Benn

Nigel Gregory Benn is a British former professional boxer. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990, and the WBC super-middleweight title from 1992 to 1996. Benn retired with an 83. 3% knockout-to-win ratio.

About Nigel Benn in brief

Summary Nigel BennNigel Gregory Benn is a British former professional boxer. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990, and the WBC super-middleweight title from 1992 to 1996. He retired with an 83. 3% knockout-to-win ratio. Benn was born in Ilford, London, on 22 January 1964 to parents from Barbados. He attended Loxford School of Science and Technology. Benn served for four and a half years in the British Army as an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He was stationed in West Germany for three years, then Northern Ireland during the Troubles for eighteen months. Benn had a record of 41 wins and 1 loss as an amateur boxer, with the loss being against Rod Douglas, whom Benn later defeated. Benn turned professional in 1987 and began a streak of consecutive knockout wins. During this time, Benn won the vacant Commonwealth middleweight. title with a second round win over Abdul Umaru, at Alexandra Pavilion on 20 April 1988.

At 22-0, Benn defended his Commonwealth title against Michael Watson in a heavily hyped bout in May 1989 at Finsbury Park, London. His next fight, against Jorge Amparo in Atlantic City, U.S., was his first fight abroad and also the first to last the full distance, with Benn winning a 10-round decision. His first defence came in August 1990 against former WBC champion Iran Barkley, whom he floored three times and stopped on the three-knockdown rule at the end of the first round. Benn then went on a winning streak of six fights leading up to another world title challenge. He defended his title against fellow Britons Nicky Piper and Lou Gent, and a rematch victory over Mauro Galvano, before again Chris Eubank, who was now WBO super- middleweight champion, in a unification bout on 9 October 1993. In February 1995 he defended his WBC 168lb title against champion Gerald McClellan in a highly anticipated bout billed as “Sudden Impact”