THE DARK DESTROYER COMES INTO THE LIGHT
THE WARS
suffered enough pain and anguish to fill several lives. Some of it, including a heavy recreational drug habit, was self- inflicted, but even that was a form of escapism. The pain of losing his older brother. The pain of what he’d endured in the army. Boxing was a safe haven by comparison, so he strived to be the best at it and carve out the life he wanted for himself and his family. “I went into the army a little boy who didn’t understand,” said Benn with emotion in his voice. “The kind of abuse you got in the army, and we’re not talking about being Black. You could be Chinese, you could be an Indian, you could be ginger with freckles. Back in the day, if you can’t back it up, you’re gonna get grief, mate. There was no racism; they just wanted to make sure that when you go to a place like Northern Ireland for 18 months, they’d have men who would back you up. The discipline was hard. “I was in a relay race once and was happy that I came in second. The Sergeant Major came over to me and said, ‘You friggin’ dummy, you! You’ve got to be number one, second to no one!’ If you watch the Gerald McClellan fight, that’s exactly what I said after it: ‘I’m number one, second to no one.’ I owe so much of my career to the British Army, because without that discipline, I don’t think I’d be the man that I was in the ring.” Almost three decades on from his final ring appearance, Benn is a very different person. He chokes back tears when discussing his prior drug use and the affairs that threatened to destroy his marriage. His wife, Carolyne, who he repeatedly calls his “knight in shining armor,” was instrumental in converting the ex-champ to Christianity around 2007 when the pair lived in Mallorca. Now based in Sydney, Australia, they live in a six- bedroom house on two acres of land, spend time with their children, provide marriage counseling and do volunteer work for their local ministry. Once a warrior inside the ring, Benn remains a warrior outside of it.
Mauro Galvano I October 3, 1992, Palazzo del Ghiaccio, Marino, Italy Title: WBC super middleweight “I didn’t care about being over there, because back in the day, I had some naughty people around me. It was just really racist out there. Oh, my gosh! I was up for that fight, out of the ring and in the ring, because of what happened to my brother back in the ’70s. That racism, I can’t stand. I would have dealt with it head-on. I wouldn’t back down or shy away. That’s how I am.” Result: Benn TKO 3
Doug DeWitt April 29, 1990, Caesars Hotel & Casino,
Atlantic City, New Jersey Title: WBO middleweight
“[DeWitt] was like a goalkeeper, just saving all my big shots. When you hit somebody and they’re right there, you build confidence. He knocked me down in the second round, but I put it on him in the third and put him down. Every shot I threw at him was draining the life out of him. It wasn’t really a hard fight.” Result: Benn TKO 8
Benn was the only fighter to score a stoppage win over Robbie Sims.
City. The Americans were impressed enough to have the British firecracker back for his maiden title defense, with Top Rank promoting Benn’s first- round annihilation of the always dangerous Barkley at Bally’s Las Vegas in August 1990. The Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank saga would follow. It remains the most potent rivalry in British boxing history, matching two polar opposites in personality and fighting style, similar in some ways to Ali vs. Frazier. Eubank, the flash and charismatic showman, was everything that Benn detested in a foe. Their competition was heightened by pure hatred, at least on Benn’s side, and two colossal showdowns between them brought Britain to a standstill. In the U.K. alone, an estimated 16.5 million viewers tuned into their 1993 rematch. Benn came out of that rivalry with a stoppage loss and a draw, though most onlookers felt that he should have won the second fight. Eubank admitted defeat to Benn’s face decades later. Sandwiched between the two Eubank fights was a second world title win over
urinating blood for days afterwards. And he was the winner. The Dark Destroyer left a piece of himself in that London ring. “It wouldn’t be fair [to dismiss Benn’s win over McClellan] because he did what he did,” said Mitchell, who covered the bout from ringside. “Gerald McClellan was some fighter. He was like a middleweight Deontay Wilder [in terms of punching power], except he could box, too. He was a dangerous, dangerous man and one of the best fighters in the world at the time. Nigel was nearly out of the fight in the first round. He was [punched] out of the ring and had to scramble back in. “Both were amazing warriors, and what a fight they produced. It was brutal, and both of them ended up in the same hospital. Poor Gerald took most of the damage that night. Psychologically, though, the fight stayed with Nigel. He’d disabled someone for life. I don’t know if he was ever the same after that.” The super-resilient Benn had just turned 31 years old when he met McClellan. However, he’d already
Galvano in October 1992. Britain’s warrior hero would make nine defenses of the WBC super middleweight title, establishing himself as one of the most successful fighters in British boxing history. And he went through hell to earn that reputation. Benn has the unique and unfortunate distinction of his career-defining triumph being shrouded in tragedy. For me, despite stiff competition, Benn’s 10th-round KO of American pound- for-pound dynamo Gerald McClellan is the greatest fight ever seen in a British ring. Had McClellan not suffered horrific, life-changing injuries, then their February 1995 collision would be celebrated alongside Corrales vs. Castillo and Gatti vs. Ward. While the fight cannot be celebrated, Benn’s participation in it cannot be ignored. He was battered from pillar to post, suffered a damaged nose and jaw, had a shadow on his brain and was
Iran Barkley August 18, 1990,
Gerald McClellan February 25, 1995, London Arena, England Titles: WBC super middleweight
Bally’s Las Vegas, Nevada Title: WBO middleweight
“I didn’t mean to [hit Barkley when he was down]. It was just a reaction. But he would never, ever have beaten me. He might have been strong, but he was slow. I didn’t want the three-knockdown rule, because I would have done a number on him. He caught me once with a left hook and drove me across the ring, but I’d won that fight at the weigh-in. I looked in his eyes for about 20 seconds, and he looked down. My attitude was, ‘You can have it right now if you like!’ I wasn’t scared of him whatsoever.” Result: Benn TKO 1
“Don King said, ‘Take a hundred grand [off your guarantee] and fight Michael Nunn.’ I said, ‘I’m not taking a hundred grand off. I’m world champion.’ King then said, ‘If you don’t, we’ll bring in mini-Mike Tyson.’ I said, ‘Bring him on!’ That was my whole attitude. They wanted me to say, ‘I’m scared, I’m scared, take the hundred grand off.’ They all expected me to be like, ‘Oh, jolly good, I’ll just turn up and come in second!’ I’m not built like that. I am not built like that! ” Result: Benn KO 10
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