How good was Nigel Benn?

Not bad.

 

Benn was legendary, he was a better MW than he was SMW but he still achieved a lot at both weights. He wasn't technically the best and often lacked a solid game plan but he was exciting to watch and had serious power. He's the fighter that got me into boxing so I have to credit him for that, and also going to america and coming back with belts! Something Eubank, Collins and Watson never did.

 

How good was he in comparison to Froch? Would he beat Froch?

 

Impossible to say really, Froch is a lot taller and bigger, both have strange awkward styles and both have good power. Tough one to call but would have been a great fight!

 

Could Froch beat him by keeping it long? Boxing like he did against Abraham?

 

I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer I am afraid as no one knows in boxing, potentially Froch could have kept it long but Benn loved a tear up and so does Froch so I wouldn't see that happening personally. It would be a straight shoot out probably, Benn had the better power but Froch has the better chin so it really is a 50/50 fight in my eyes.

 

I see Benn and Froch as similar and think it would be a 50/50 fight.

One thing for sure, you knew you were going to watch a good fight when Nigel Benn was fighting, same with Froch.

 

Benn was a war machine back in the day- you rarely saw him in crap fight (unlike Eubank although there were mitigating circumstances on his part). He had one hell of a chin (essential for his style), look for his fight with Anthony Logan as an example, where he takes several heavy shots before knocking Logan out.

Benn was a massive draw on TV back in the day as his "warrior" personality was very marketable and he knocked people out for fun.

Against Froch I'd say his best chance would be to blast him out early as Froch probably is better at ringcraft than Benn.

 

Exact same boat as you mate, are there any DVD's that cover the careers of Eubank, Benn, Collins and Watson.

 

Benn was at his most exciting in the late 80s as a Middleweight. He went on an amazing run of KO's that caught the imagination of ITV, and he became a legitimate, mainstream star in this period.

His world rating went up accordingly, and there was talk of a match with the unbeaten American Middleweight Micheal Nunn. But first came a match up with a fellow British prospect, Micheal Watson. There was a lot of bad blood between the two and TV hyped that. The fight itself exposed Benn, as Watson was a lot more experienced and he won comfortable.

The next stage of Benn's career saw him develop in the States, as he increased the quality of his opponent but found his power although a threat, could not always get the job done. Still fighting with a very raw style he started to be matched with teak tough journeymen and decent contenders like Sanderline Williams, Doug DeWitt and Iran Barkley. Benn despite his limitations showed heart and gutted out wins against all three, sometimes in memorable style. Benn decided after Barkley to comeback to the UK to fight Chris Eubank, the latest British prospect. At the time Benn was considered just outside the top three in the world, Eubank a fringe contender. In a big upset Eubank outlasted Benn in war.

When Benn returned his main domestic rivals, Eubank and Watson had moved up to 168lbs, so Nigel followed suit. Benn found his power did not have the same results at 168, so he started to refine his style, improve his defence, and become a bit more cute.

Benn went on his 'Anything Eu can do' tour, where he would try and beat former Chris Eubank opponents more impressively than Chris did. He had mixed results, really struggling with in particular Sugarboy Malinga, in a fight many thought Benn was lucky to win.

With Watson retired and Eubank not really interested in a rematch, Benn took a big risk and decided to go to Italy and fight WBC champion Mauro Galvano. In arguably his finest performance to date Benn outboxed the Italian for four rounds, busting him open. The Italians tried to claim the cut was down to a headbutt, and that Galvano could not continue and as the fight had not gone into the fifth round, according to WBC rules, it would go down as a technical draw, with Galvano keeping his title. Referee Joe Cortez stood up to the Italians, and thus the fight went down as a fourth round retirement, and Benn won the title.

At the time Benn was considered fourth best 168lber behind Eubank, Nunn (who too had moved up) and in early, 1993 James Toney. Benn fought some ordinary domestic opposition as well as a rematch with Galvano were he was badly hurt right at the end of the bout, but he kept his title, and got a rematch with Chris Eubank.

In arguably the biggest 10 days in British boxing history (Lewis also fought Bruno in this period), Eubank and Benn had their rematch. In an interesting and close fight rather than exciting war they had, had three years previous, Benn was considered by a small majority to of been unlucky to only get a draw.

This 'draw' though did give Benn some more kudos and with Nunn's surprising defeat to journeyman Steve Little, Benn and Eubank were considered second only to the excellent Toney in the division. Benn met an unbeaten tough Yorkshireman (Wharton) in his next fight. Some were suggesting an upset was possible, but Benn was too classy. Another easy defence followed before Benn agreed to meet the heavy punching Middleweight sensation Gerald McClellan.

Benn was considered a massive underdog, with some suggesting he would do well to hear the bell for the second round... But in a magnificent war, with sadly terrible consequences, Benn won. Benn (with Eubank's defeat to Steve Collins), was now considered the second finest 168lber on the Planet (behind Toney's conqueror Roy Jones Jr), and some even started to place him at the bottom end of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world. It was a career high for Nigel.

Benn was never quite the same after the McClellan fight, and lost his title in lackluster fashion to former foe Malinga. Two matches followed with Steve Collins, both awful performances and Benn finally called it a day.

 

No commercially available DVDs of the rivalry- there are DVDs of the Benn/Eubank fights. Youtube is your friend on this front- there are loads of videos of nearly everything from that era including documentaries.

 

most of benns fights can be found on youtube and some good documentaries - clash of the titans, nigel benn my childhood and best of enemies.

watch fighting back michael watson documentary or peoples champion doc, also fights against don lee and eubank on there and some more.

boxing career dvds do a good set of watson fights + documentary for a tenner.

and the legends on disc - nigel benn set is pretty good. available from boxfit or sugar rays

 

I think in his last few fights he was trying to settle a large unpaid tax bill and was only really turning up for the pay day and didn't quite have the bit between his teeth he once had.

Fantastic career and one of the most exciting fighters Britain has ever produced.

 

Not seen much of him but was anything but impressed watching vs Eubank - no strategy or subtlty in his approach, just throwing right hand bombs.