This content is protected More so from the American media than the British media believe it or not. Steve Farhood with a direct quote in late 95 Benn is the best ever from English shores. It’s how funny how a few poor performances/losses can shift opinion and how important it is to wait until a career has finished for a total body of work. Benn frankly looked terrible post-McClellan imo although the sharpness is there here in this fight. I think it was a balance & coordination issue due to x-rays displaying a shadow over most of his brain following the McClellan encounter (that his gangster team had to pull strings around to keep him fighting). Had Iron Mike Tyson for instance went to prison for murder or something (hypothetically speaking) in late 89, I’m sure all would consider him the best and most unbeatable fighting machine ever to grace the sport!
I can understand the praise for Benn. I love the guy, one of the most exciting fighter to come from the British isles. Can't see him as the greatest British fighter but I'm proud he was fighting for the Brit's , bashing the opposition.
If anyone was saying that after Benn got a total of three pops at Eubank/Watson for a total of zero wins, they're just wrong in a really grim way.
His win against (hype as an American 'pound for pound' talent) Gerald McClellan, as tragic as it was, at the time had an 'epicness' about it, the heart, viciousness and resilience shown by Benn was instantly legendary. Obviously it takes a good deal of forgetfulness or ignorance of boxing history, but it was an emotional response. People are calling Usyk "the greatest heavyweight ever", which is almost as bad.
I think American commentators have a tendency to overrate wins over ‘their’ fighters and to underrate wins over non-Americans. That’s more reflective of those judgements than Benn’s actual status.