Vito Antuofermo vs Nigel Benn

Well the Gman did knock Benn out of the ring in the first round. It was a long count as well. Benn did not hold a great punch - he was knocked down by a jab against Michael Watson.

 

Benn was exhausted against Watson, at that point he did not even spar. That was way before his peak. Probably also the making of him as a fighter.

Benn hurt anyone he hit. Does anyone not think he would land over and over again on Vito ? His slashing punches would make it look like a horror flick.

12 or 15 is not the important thing here in my opinion its era that is important. Today Benn stops him on cuts inside 6 or 7 assuming Vito can take his punches which is not a given.

Pre TV era Vito has more of a chance, but i still think a bloody and blinded Vito gets stopped.

Benn had a good array of shots and would damage Vito with hooks and uppercuts on his way in.

 

Vito would grind him down to a tight points win.

 

No, it really is a given.

Eugene Hart was hitting Vito so hard he was clearly lifting him off his feet.

Benn isn't putting him down for the count/sparking him.

 

You can't just pick one fight where a guy took big punches unflinchingly. Hart may not have hurt him but others did. Hearns never hurt Barkley , Benn blew him away. I still think Benn is too big, too fast and too accurate for him.

 

Yes you can. This is supposed to be prime to prime not some aged version of Vito in order to make a Benn win possible. Vito was at his middleweight prime between 78-79. I had also chosen the 3 biggest sluggers he fought, Briscoe, Hart and Hagler and none of them could put a dent in him. Neither would Benn. And I do believe once he saw his blows were having no effect and Vito was still firing for all he could, Benn would find a way to excuse himself from the conflict. It was a flaw he had, just like Vito with the cuts. Benn never had a plan B when things went awry. Again, I see Benn retiring on his stool around the 8th or 9th.

Scartissue

 

Well he hurt Barkley badly to the body, but I suspect you meant headshots.

 

I'm no Benn fan, but what fights did he show the lack of heart you're suggesting in?.It seems a harsh condemnation of him.

The onyl one i can think of that mght apply is the Watson fight-unles you are going to use the shot benn that fought Collins- where it seemed more to me, a stamina issue\complete inability to pace himself.Quite possibly he was discouraged as well, but again he had not been in with anyone world class before.It seems to get forgotten that was a fight between two largely untested prospects...Benn did improve to an extent after it.He never showed an inclination to quit while in his prime again at least.

 

He did not quit against Watson, he was knocked out. When I saw that fight I could see Watson's game by the 3rd round. He kept a tight guard and let Benn blow his wad. The jab/KO was anticlimatic. Everyone knew it was coming yet Benn could not adjust. He was very lucky against Anthony Logan, fought very non-descript fighters during his reign, he did quit twice against Collins, but of course that was at the end of his career. He shamefully could not come up with any kind of alternate plan against Sugar Boy Malinga. Their 1st fight was rough but the second? Come on, he could not come up with any kind of plan if this 41 year old man would not fall? He didn't and Malinga, at 41, takes his title. I'll give Benn his dues in the Eubank fights and the McClellan fight but a fighter with one game plan, an average jaw (even Doug DeWitt had him down and he was no puncher) and suspect heart is not going to make it against Vito Antuofermo.

Scartissue

 

Suspect heart ? Come off it, a broken heart after McClellan possibly. Its like saying Chavez was a quitter because of his last fights.

Vito was hurt at his peak, Alan Minter hurt him for starters. Hagler hurt him too. Regardless Vito was a sall middle and Benn a large fast powerful middle, i can't see where Vito beats him. I think he would be cut to pieces and stopped.

Re Barkley Hearns yeah i meant head shots.

 

Got to go with Nige on this one.Vito was good,rugged and hard.But he would not have been able to stop Benn winning rounds early.He would have pushed Nige right to the end,but i go with Benn by 2 rounds.

 

8 years later I will stick with my pick...9-6 Benn

 

Nigel Benn is going to hit Vito often, uh oh!