THE DARK DESTROYER COMES INTO THE LIGHT
A rampaging Benn scored an eye-popping first- round TKO of Iran Barkley in Las Vegas.
from Barbados in the 1950s. Tragedy struck in 1972 when Benn’s older brother Andy was killed in what he has described as a “racist attack.” The profound nature of that loss never left Benn, who was only 8 years old when it happened. Filled with anger and resentment, Benn desperately needed a physical outlet, and martial arts came first. In the mid-1970s, he followed his older brother Dermott into Wu Shu Kwan (Chinese kickboxing) and also trained in Lau Gar (a style of kung fu). Obsessed with high- kicking action, the young Benn was soon venturing to an old-school cinema in East London to take in Hong Kong action classics. “I remember every Friday night, we’d go from 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 in the morning and watch three films,” recalled Benn fondly. “I’d get two pieces of chicken and chips … that was all the money I had. They were the good old days, the ’70s; that was my childhood. I was watching Jackie Chan in Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow before anyone knew who he was. And Bruce Lee was the man. He was my hero.” A troubled youth, Benn still required direction. His four years as an infantryman in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (1982-1986) shaped the man he would ultimately become. While he was undefeated as a welterweight boxer during his service, it was the time he spent in West Germany and particularly Northern Ireland during The Troubles that made the dangers he would encounter in a professional boxing ring seem pale by comparison. “I had no fear when I got in the ring, and that was because of what I’d been through in the army,” said Benn. “Where we served in Northern Ireland, we lost a couple of guys who were blown up in the Ballykelly bombing (December 1982). You don’t even know if you’re coming back. That’s a different kind of fear.” When his time in the service was complete, Benn turned his attention
to boxing. He fought out of the West Ham Boxing Club, compiling an amateur record of 41-1 (numbers vary with bouts in the service) and was an ABA champion in 1986. Turning professional the following year, Benn soon established himself as one of the most talented and exciting prospects in the U.K.
Ray Leonard in his prime; he’s at the end of his career. But he saw how I demolished Barkley and that one went down the drain.” By March 1989, Benn had knocked out all 22 of his opponents, with 20 of those knockouts coming in three rounds or less. He was ferocious. However, boxing is also about smarts, and it was talented Londoner Michael Watson who would dish out a painful lesson in the sweet science in May of that year. Benn punched himself out and was sensationally stopped in six rounds. Determined to bounce back, Benn decamped to Miami’s 5th St. Gym. The Watson setback had highlighted his limitations as a technician and forced him to add strings to his bow. “It was rat-infested, it was horrible, but it was a proper gym,” recalled Benn. “Remember in Rocky III when he goes to the gym with all the evil Black guys staring at him? It was that kind of atmosphere. They didn’t know me. “I’d never sparred much, but out there, back in the day, they sparred hard. I wasn’t used to that. I was getting knocked around by a guy called Freddie Pendleton, who later fought Ricky Hatton. Pendleton was a really good fighter and would knock my headgear off. There were times when I’d wish for someone to break my legs so that I didn’t need to spar. I never liked sparring. But then, after six or eight weeks of going in against some big, strong guys, light heavies and all that, I was learning.” In two of his next three victories, all of which took place in the States, Benn was extended the full 10-round distance by Jorge Amparo and Sanderline Williams in competitive fights. These encounters were ideal preparation for a looming world title bout. Continuing his U.S. invasion, Benn got off the floor (of course he did) to win the WBO middleweight title at the expense of DeWitt, who was taken out in eight pulsating rounds in Atlantic
instinct came from. “You put a cat in a corner, then it’s going to come out. If you put me in a corner and I’ve got to dig deep, then a switch just went off in my head. “Anthony Logan hit me 22 times [in a row] before I knocked him out. And if you watch that fight, it’s not a lucky punch. When I’m bobbing around, he’s got me in trouble, but his hands are down. I loaded up on a big left hook that traveled at the speed of sound. He sees it coming (laughs) but can’t get his hands up to block it. I knew it was all over.” Benn’s fighting guts aren’t the only reason why he’ll be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June alongside Gennadiy Golovkin and Antonio Tarver. Recognition of his breathtaking professional career and remarkable achievements has been a long time coming.
In 1990, Benn defeated Doug DeWitt to become the first middleweight titleholder from the U.K. since Alan Minter reigned as undisputed champion a decade earlier. In 1992, Benn became only the second British fighter to dethrone an Italian world titleholder on Italian soil when he beat Mauro Galvano to pick up the WBC super middleweight belt, which he would hold for the next three and a half years. Award-winning sportswriter Kevin Mitchell covered Benn many times when he worked for The Observer. He also penned the book War, Baby: The Glamour of Violence (2001), which focuses heavily on Benn’s ill-fated victory over American knockout artist Gerald McClellan in February 1995. The British scribe wasn’t the least bit surprised when he heard that Benn would be honored in Canastota. “It’s a funny old thing, being
inducted,” said Mitchell. “You could ask the question: What qualifies you to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? How long were you on top? Were you a unified champion? All these things are considered. “Nigel was a spectacular talent. What defined him was that he was always right on the edge and took lots of risks. He was tremendous for British boxing and for world boxing as well. I thought his induction was well deserved. If you compare him to champions of the past, I’d have him in the Hall of Fame any day. Nigel was an absolute warrior. And he was an army man, too. His brother John, who was also in the army, was his hero.” To understand Nigel Benn, you must understand his life before money, fast cars and world title belts. He was the sixth of seven brothers, born to parents who immigrated to Ilford, England,
Early in his professional rise, Benn had the chance to punch-swap with one of the greatest fighters of all time in Roberto Duran, who was preparing to fight future Benn foe Iran Barkley for the WBC middleweight title. The sparring session with “Hands of Stone” took place in London in late 1988. “It was a great experience,” said Benn with reverence. “I knew I was fast and would never try to take liberties with a living legend. But he was spinning me around, turning me around, little tricks that he had up his sleeve. It was just a good experience to be in there with Roberto Duran. “Later on, I also had the opportunity, as God as my witness, to fight Sugar Ray Leonard. But then I fought Barkley. Now, we’re not talking about Sugar
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