Is Nigel Benn HOF or ATG worthy?

HOF worthy and ATG. Not top fifty but maybe on a list of top one or two hundred all time great fighters that ever laced up gloves I could see the Dark Destroyer finding his place amongst them.

Nigel Benn was ****ing awesome and on his night could knock out any man that stepped in the ring with him.

 

Here is Nigel not cutting it on the world stage....

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And went to Itally to take the super middleweight belt from Galvano. That, my friend, is the definition of doing it on the "world stage" rather than spending your whole career fighting within the confines of the US and never venturing into another country.

Other top ten fighters or world champs on that resume include Eubank, Malinga, Robbie Sims, Nicky Piper, Henry Wharton, Nardiello. Nine successful defences of the WBC belt. But I forget, anyone who doesn't spend their whole career fighting in the United States against U.S. fighters is unproven, hiding, avoiding people to certain ignorant members of that community. No mention of how the vast majority of the top fighters over there seem to have a phobia of the passport office. Bottom line, people the world over know what a great fighter Nigel Benn was and the ignorant comments of a few rednecks will not change that.

 

Not sure about ATG, but I would definitely lobby for him to be in the HOF.
Guy was a fantastically entertaining warrior.

 

Co-sign

 

HOF? He was certainly part of the most exciting era in modern British boxing. The Benn, Eubank, Watson, McClellan, Collins fights were to this side of the atlantic in the 90's what Hagler, Hearns, Duran were to the other side of the atlantic in the 80's. If Collins could have gotten the Roy Jones Fight maybe we could have judged just how near or far to HOF these guys were.

 

1) How many fights outside of the US has Evander Holyfield had?

2) How many Non US fighters has Evander Holyfield beaten?

Answers:

1) Two. Both in his mid 40's.

2) One. Francois Both when both guys were in their 40's.


Evander Holyfield was called a world champion, despite never beating a non US fighter.

Are you saying he's not an ATG or HOF worthy? Or is this some bizarro rule that only applies to Europeans?

I can't even be arsed to look how many fights Benn had outside Britain, or against non British fighters.

Apparently the fights against US fighters and in the US that have been listed don't count either. What more could he do, fight the well travelled Roy Jones Jr? How many fights did he have outside of the US in his prime?

 

:rofl OWNED ! :deal

 

I kind of agree with what your saying, but here is the thing, fans aren't thinking like that, take Shane Mosley, he has losses because he is not a reluctant warrior, he took on two guys in Forrest and Winky, the type of fighters that Mayweather would not dream of stepping into the ring with, simply because they pose too many potential stylistic problems for him, yet people will give Mayweather more props cause he is undefeated and has less of a checkered resume, yet Shane's is checkered because he fought the best, Mayweather's is not checkered cause he strategically picks his fights to give himself advantages to win, yet folks would rather reward Mayweather cause he is undefeated, go figure...........

 

By current standards, yes he should make it to the HOF. In an ideal world, no he would not make it. But considering the guys who have been inducted and the guys who are spoken of as future inductees, then yes I think Benn merits inclusion.

ATG? Ludicrous.

 

most certainly he is Hall of Fame, without question imo.

 

[quote="TKO";2283603]If this was the case, he was quite right to as well. Benn hasn't fought since 1996 and is now happily retired DJing and looking after his family as far as I am aware. It's not likely that a guy can go back to being punched in the head inside a squared circle after that time and be 1/4 of what he was (well unless his name's Henry Maske).

Back to the original post, HOF certainly. ATG not a chance. Personally, I think this term gets thrown around far too easily these days. For me an ATG should be a fighter people will still talk fondly about in 20-30 years' time, who has done things that only a very special fighter could. Ali, Robinson, the four horseman (Duran, Hearns, Hagler, Leonard), Holyfield guys like that. With great respect to Benn who I am a massive fan of, he will not be remembered in that company.

By contrast, the HOF is about people who have done great things for the sport of boxing and the entry criteria are not as strict. And Benn is as good a candidate as most with his 42-5-1 record, two world titles, double figure successful defences, wins over Barkley, DeWitt and Galvano on their own turn, the classic rivalry with Eubank and of course the G-Man fight.[/quote]

Nigel Benn will indeed be talked about in 30-40years time in Britain

 

[quote="TKO";2288938]And went to Itally to take the super middleweight belt from Galvano. That, my friend, is the definition of doing it on the "world stage" rather than spending your whole career fighting within the confines of the US and never venturing into another country.

Other top ten fighters or world champs on that resume include Eubank, Malinga, Robbie Sims, Nicky Piper, Henry Wharton, Nardiello. Nine successful defences of the WBC belt. But I forget, anyone who doesn't spend their whole career fighting in the United States against U.S. fighters is unproven, hiding, avoiding people to certain ignorant members of that community. No mention of how the vast majority of the top fighters over there seem to have a phobia of the passport office. Bottom line, people the world over know what a great fighter Nigel Benn was and the ignorant comments of a few rednecks will not change that.[/quote]

it's ironic that you take the very argument i use to condemn fighters who 'milk the system' and try to incorporate the world stage in a way that suits you.

the world stage refers to putting yourself in a position to take on the best fighters of your weight class, era...whatever takes a fighter from being a homegrown name and high risk, low reward fighter - to one that can negotiate a fight on an equal footing because he EARNED it.

i don't see anyone criticising michael jordan or wayne gretsky for not competing on your 'world stage'.

do you know why?

because competing on the world stage i'm talking about means that you've put yourself in the position to compete against the best athletes of that particular sport.

boxing, like many sports, heralds individual sportsmen who perform on the US stage, not becasue it should be that way, but because - wait for it - it's the biggest stage of all.

and anyone who performs on that 'world stage' against the best that sport has on offer garners the respect and accolades of their fans and that sporting community.

don't make excuses for a fighter who chooses to compromise that side of their career.