Nigel Benn - The best I've ever faced

"The best I've ever faced" is a series that Ring Magazine run. It can be hit or miss depending on the subject, but I enjoyed this one with Nigel Benn

Fascinating to hear him talk about McClellan's power and how beat up he was after the fight. Also funny to hear him speak about Eubank with a hint of affection. Difficult to imagine when you think about the old footage of Benn seething as Chris delivers pretentious insults - "I personally do hate him" haha.

Anyway, I thought some of you would enjoy the read.

Good stuff. I recently re-watched Benn v McClellan, then went to watch a lot of McClellan's earlier fights. I think a myth developed about McClellan's breathing problems and blinking. If you watch the Julian Jackson fights he does both and they only lasted 4 rounds in total.

Interesing stuff. Glad to see he's got some affection for Eubank and a lot of the old bitterness has left him!

You can't be bitter living in Sydney. Lovely place.

Indeed, it is sean, but full full of Australians.

superflyweight wrote:Indeed, it is sean, but full full of Australians.  

And funnel web spiders. Aggressive little things.

Mclellan was a Mugabi-like myth..........Fed fighters who were in front of his face and easy to hit a la Mugabi......

Why he fought Benn basically who in fainess gritted it out....

Without the tragedy Mclellan is a Lacy type figure that was all hype......

My one problem with Benn is he got away with screwing the public in the 2nd fight with Collins....I believe he took the money and ran and unlike other fighters who will remain nameless gets away with it..

Had no intention of beating Collins 2nd time around....

Good fighter though

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

My one problem with Benn is he got away with screwing the public in the 2nd fight with Collins....I believe he took the money and ran and unlike other fighters who will remain nameless gets away with it..

Had no intention of beating Collins 2nd time around....

I agree. I went to both the Benn v Collins fights.

Fool me once and all that.

McClellan.

Went to the first one and was bemused by the premature end. Watched it back on TV and the twisted ankle was a genuine reason not to carry one (if memory serves Benn was still trying to fight but couldn't put weight on his ankle). At the time, a rematch was clearly justified.

Trying to play Devil's Advocate, I'm sure with a sold out venue, advertising signed, sealed and delivered, there was enormous pressure on Benn to go through with the fight even if he knew in training that it wasn't there any longer. What were his options, pull out and get sued to high Heaven or take the loss (and the money?). I agree it's hardly a noble way of doing things but I also believe that, given some of the wars he gave us, Benn was perhaps entitled to an easy pay day

DAVE667 wrote:Went to the first one and was bemused by the premature end. Watched it back on TV and the twisted ankle was a genuine reason not to carry one (if memory serves Benn was still trying to fight but couldn't put weight on his ankle). At the time, a rematch was clearly justified.

Trying to play Devil's Advocate, I'm sure with a sold out venue, advertising signed, sealed and delivered, there was enormous pressure on Benn to go through with the fight even if he knew in training that it wasn't there any longer. What were his options, pull out and get sued to high Heaven or take the loss (and the money?). I agree it's hardly a noble way of doing things but I also believe that, given some of the wars he gave us, Benn was perhaps entitled to an easy pay day

He wouldn't have got sued......Plenty of fighters pull out of fights...Fake hand injury etc.........Insurance and all that...

You're defending the indefensible...His trainer before he'd even been hurt was trying to pull him out...watch the fight again....

Took the money and ran..

Watch the fight again? No thanks! Anyway, if Benn's trainer was trying to pull him out and been still wanted to go on, how is that taking the money and running? Surely he's still wanting to see if he can pull it off...or was it another cynical attempt to pull the wool over our eyes?

Can't argue too strenuously is was a massive let down and perhaps demonstrated a lack of integrity from a man who'd prided himself on his "warrior" credentials but as I said, I'm not really that interested in Benn stinking the joint out at the end of his career. For me, he'd provided enough entertainment to allow him a little leeway. He's not the first to pull such a stunt but for some reason, you seen to berate him for it more than you do others.

His trainer said I'm not going to watch you take a hammering.......Before Collins laid a glove on him.............There was no argument after he was pulled out without a mark on him.....

Remember an argument being made by Steele fans after Tyson-Bruno....."He is a tired and over worked official............"

Well you didn't have to referee the fight then did you.......

I read the Collins piece linked at the bottom of the Benn article. He doesn't lack modesty. No one has ever been stronger than him in the ring. And he didn't ever take note of fast feet because he is so good at cutting a ring off.

jimdig wrote:I read the Collins piece linked at the bottom of the Benn article. He doesn't lack modesty. No one has ever been stronger than him in the ring. And he didn't ever take note of fast feet because he is so good at cutting a ring off.

yes, thought he came across as a plank in that one.

Collins always comes across as a plank, he rivals Holmes in the bitterness stakes.

Saw Collins fight mccallum...I was staggered he was as succesful as he was..

Timing was everything for him

Mclellan and Watson took a lot out of Benn and Eubank both physically and mentally, neither had the stomach for it any more and that's something Collins capitalised on, before those bouts he loses quite comfortably to the pair and i'm sure Eubank would have closed the show when he had him wobbled.

I see Benn always struggling with Collins at 168..........If you took Benn's shot he wasn't that great at pacing himself..

He may struggle but I think he still beats him, after McLellan he had less zip in his punches as if he was holding something back much like Eubank but not as noticeable. Eubank could take his punch without much fuss better than Collins could but there second fight showed that Benn could find a way to win.

It annoys me that Collins made his name by beating the pair once they were on a severe downward spiral, add in the fact he thinks his the best thing since slice bread I wish either of them had enough left to give him a pasting.

One minute he beats him comfortably and the next he may struggle..

The two aren't mutually exclusive, he may struggle for parts of the fight but overall I can't see anything other than Benn winning a comfortable decision something like 117-111 with a tricky few rounds at the end.

Miliband is looking for a spin doctor... 

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I see Benn always struggling with Collins at 168..........If you took Benn's shot he wasn't that great at pacing himself..

Collins, who wasn't all that in America, spotted the amount of money Eubank, Watson and Benn were making fighting each other and decided he wanted a piece of the pie. Collins rolled into town and beat a prime 29 year old Eubank having the effect of putting a pin Tinkywinky in the hype bubble that surrounded British middleweight boxing/ ITV television at the time.

A healthy McClellan would have finished off Benn. Anybody bar an impartial Benn fan can see McClellan's facial expressions were bizarre. Rewatching the fight knowing the outcome really emphasises McClellans plight.

Post Watson there is no way Eubank was peak, he was a shadow of his former self, only an Irish Collins fan thinks he beat the best of the pair.

Poppycock

Eubank was 29. He had credible performances against Calzaghe and Thompson years after this.

Collins showed up a young peak version of Eubank. Eubank is very very bitter about this fact.


I've personally never been keen on Steve Collins, and even less so on his brother Roddy, but it can't be denied he exposed the overhyped British middleweight scene. Image what Toney, RJJ or Hoppo would have done to Eubank if they crossed the water. Eubank knows this.

Using losing fights isn't a great way to bolster an argument.....

Mclellan was also doing very well before he became unhealthy..

Why did he become unhealthy ??

The wonders a granite chin and do for you when the rest has diminished. Eubank may have been 29 but the Watson fight took a lot out of him and Collins capitalised on what was left.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Using losing fights isn't a great way to bolster an argument.....

Mclellan was also doing very well before he became unhealthy..

Why did he become unhealthy ??

Eubank was 29 and in great shape. I can't pick great wins after the first Collins fight because these aren't any but it is possible to put on credible losing performances, Ali v Frazier for instance. Collins exposed Eubank twice. Eubank was the best of the Brits, an also ran came over from America and beat him. That tells the story. Do you agree?


A fighter having a brain injury is very exception and is rarely the outcome in the 1000's and 1000's of fights that happen every year around the world. The brain injury obviously indicated an underlying issue. Some speculate McClellan was have problems long before he met Benn.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Mclellan was a Mugabi-like myth..........Fed fighters who were in front of his face and easy to hit  a la Mugabi......

Why he fought Benn basically who in fainess gritted it out....

Without the tragedy Mclellan is a Lacy type figure that was all hype......

My one problem with Benn is he got away with screwing the public in the 2nd fight with Collins....I believe he took the money and ran and unlike other fighters who will remain nameless gets away with it..

Had no intention of beating Collins 2nd time around....

Good fighter though

He was good enough to beat jones as an amateur and suffered from manny's love-in with hearns when he turned pro. They probably over-matched him to begin with and set him back, but later on I'd agree he was largely rolling face first fighters.

Mugabi was totally shot but the Jackson wins were quality. McClellan had all the physicsl attributes to be a great but not the mental ones. Thing is, he could box, but thought he could just roll everyone over. I can see why you'd make the analogy, but a different league from Lacey truss IMO.

The Terror of Tylorstown wrote:The wonders a granite chin and do for you when the rest has diminished. Eubank may have been 29 but the Watson fight took a lot out of him and Collins capitalised on what was left.

I watched Eubank's fights on ITV and there was no sign of any deteriorating prior to the first Collins fight. Eubank was well in contention in the first fight and could have won if he upped his game. Eubank became gun shy when he had a fighter in trouble but he was still in fantastic shape and in the prime of his life. Lets be honest Eubank was lazy and Collins was very tough and had an incredible engine, he basically outworked Eubank.

So you thought Eubank looked at his best scraping past the likes of Sherry and Malinga. Being gun shy is quite a big problem when you're a boxer, after the Watson fights he rarely upped the tempo. Just because he was in his physical prime doesn't mean he was in his fighting prime.

You are not being fair in your assessment.

I watched Eubank struggle with Ray Close a couple of years before he fought Collins, he was useless and should have lost, this is before his second war with Benn. The common denominator was Eubank was lazy and was relying on favourable WBO judging decisions.

It's strange how Eubank lost his fear of punching opponents when he fought Benn, Thompson and Calzaghe. Eubank didn't mind fighting inferior opposition but he didn't want to beat them up, he just wanted the pay day.

Laziness is a big factor in this. You cannot ignore this.

You can't argue that someone who boxes only for money is affected by nearly killing someone.

Then why did Eubank have no problem punching Benn, Calzaghe and Thompson? Do you think maybe he had to in order to survive or he was going to get beat up? Necessity is a powerful sauce.

Embank lost his appetite to knock over vastly inferior opponents.He was also criminally lazy. Whatever way I look at Eubank I can only see he was a class below the top American operators of the time

Yes he was a class below Toney and Jones but so were everyone else.

milkyboy wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Mclellan was a Mugabi-like myth..........Fed fighters who were in front of his face and easy to hit  a la Mugabi......

Why he fought Benn basically who in fainess gritted it out....

Without the tragedy Mclellan is a Lacy type figure that was all hype......

My one problem with Benn is he got away with screwing the public in the 2nd fight with Collins....I believe he took the money and ran and unlike other fighters who will remain nameless gets away with it..

Had no intention of beating Collins 2nd time around....

Good fighter though

He was good enough to beat jones as an amateur and suffered from manny's love-in with hearns when he turned pro. They probably over-matched him to begin with and set him back, but later on I'd agree he was largely rolling face first fighters.

Mugabi was totally shot but the Jackson wins were quality. McClellan had all the physicsl attributes to be a great but not the mental ones. Thing is, he could box, but thought he could just roll everyone over. I can see why you'd make the analogy, but a different league from Lacey truss IMO.

My view of McClellan has been irrepairably tainted by a video I saw of him sparring Toney. I know there's no shame in not being as good as Lights Out, but it got more and more one sided as it went on. Since then all the amazing KO's look a little less, somehow.

Apart from this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZPKe0xovh4 That looks like the most painful punch I've ever seen.

If that's the vid that cropped up a year or so ago, toney did look comfortable... That said, you never know the background to sparring, and I'm sure McClellan was less intimidating in a pillow fight. But on that performance the g man was no Dave Tiberi. 

The Terror of Tylorstown wrote:Yes he was a class below Toney and Jones but so were everyone else.

A class below McCallum, Nunn, Jackson, etc.

Nunn and Jackson I wouldn't agree with, both achieved a fair bit more overall. I don't see Jackson beating Eubank.

Jones was the only class apart, strongy. Toney was only a class apart sporadically.

The rest of them toney included were all capable of beating each other, or a beats b beats c beats a. Some of your Eubank comments are fair, but you're overplaying your hand in my view. A motivated Eubank ( which he clearly wasn't always) was a handful. Loses to mccallum,  outboxed by nunn but Eubank has a punchers chance. Don't see him losing to Jackson.

milkyboy wrote:If that's the vid that cropped up a year or so ago, toney did look comfortable... That said, you never know the background to sparring, and I'm sure McClellan was less intimidating in a pillow fight. But on that performance the g man was no Dave Tiberi. 

True, could've been G Man on an offnight and Toney just about ready for a fight and sharp as ever, and sparring certainly doesn't favour the puncher, but I know who I'd be betting on. Not like it was close. Toney bossed it going forwards and back.

The Terror of Tylorstown wrote:Nunn and Jackson I wouldn't agree with, both achieved a fair bit more overall. I don't see Jackson beating Eubank.

We'll never know as Eubank avoided the best operators around middleweight at the time. Eubank may just have just been too physically big for Jacksons but Julians punches were so accurate and powerful Eubanks exposed chin would have been severely tested.

Jackson wasn't the hardest to outbox if his bombs weren't having the desired effect, to say he's a class above Eubank is pushing it to the limit. Nunn at the time wasn't in the best of form at the time and had a habit of beating the smaller men, he could beat Benn and Eubank on his best night but just like Toney he could be very hit and miss.

I love how it's purely the fault of the brits that the fights never happened, if the yanks wanted it so much they could you know have traveled themselves.

milkyboy wrote:Jones was the only class apart, strongy. Toney was only a class apart sporadically.

The rest of them toney included were all capable of beating each other, or a beats b beats c beats a. Some of your Eubank comments are fair, but you're overplaying your hand in my view. A motivated Eubank ( which he clearly wasn't always) was a handful. Loses to mccallum,  outboxed by nunn but Eubank has a punchers chance. Don't see him losing to Jackson.

Some quotes from Eubank:


"Graham and Nunn – being elusive southpaws who specialized in using the outskirts of the ring and two of the three most talented pound-for-pound, along with Pernell Whitaker – I decided I only had a punching chance to defeat."


"How would you have fared against Roy Jones Jnr?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would you have fared against James Toney?

EUBANK: He might have beaten me on points.


How would you have fared against Michael Nunn?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would you have fared against Herol "Bomber" Graham?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would Chris Eubank of 1992 shape fare against Joe Calzaghe of 2002-2007 shape?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


Did you ever consider fighting Mike McCallum?"



I basically read it that he only would have given himself a punchers chance with most of the top guys.

Full interview for pig iron:




Giving us the A's is the legend of 24 world title fights, king of postures and originator of athletic ring entrances and true boxing arena entry, Chris Eubank of Great Britain!



Getting in touch via Savile Row in Mayfair, London, Eubank was willing to ponder my Q's but didn't promise to give A's to them all - though he did! And here they are!


What got you started in boxing?

EUBANK:I was working as a janitor at a gym in New York and one day a Puerto Rican powerhouse nicknamed "Horse" had nobody to spar with, so asked yours truly.


What was the best win in your amateur career?

EUBANK: Richard Burton in the Spanish Golden Gloves semifinal for the New York City belt. He was the hardest puncher I ever got in the ring with before I fought Nigel Benn.

I then fought Ricky Thomas from the Upstate region in the Spanish Golden Gloves final and it was just as hard a fight because I took him lightly, believing the New York City champion should be vastly superior, and so I should only have to show up to win. How wrong was I! I still did win, though, and picked up the trophy.


What was the most difficult of your first ten professional bouts?

EUBANK: My British debut against Darren Parker in a hotel near Gatwick Airport. It was the first time I had ever been in the ring with a Caucasian fighter and, strangely, that threw me off. I stopped him in precisely 60 seconds, though.


When did you realise you could become a world champion?

EUBANK: When I was 21 and got the tapes of my professional fights from Glandis Torres, wife of Adonis my late mentor. He hadn't wanted me to see the tapes because the commentators stated I was already world-class, so he may have thought I wouldn't train as hard. I had no idea I was that good until then.


Is there one fight that stands out as pivotal prior to you becoming world champion?

EUBANK: Anthony Logan fight. He was ranked #16 with the WBC and my record was that of a novice. That fight also gave me concrete proof that I had a concrete chin, so it was very important.


What inspired you best to perform?

EUBANK: Fear.


Care to elaborate?

EUBANK: Fighters like Hugo Corti, (and) Graciano Rocchigiani - (they) had some devastating knockouts of concrete fighters like Corro and Hamsho, and Corti actually very nearly stopped Chris Pyatt in the 1st round. Henry Wharton knocked his opponent out cold in precisely 30 seconds in his warm-up fight for me.

And of course, Nigel Benn, perhaps the most devastating puncher of all time. Also, Michael Watson during our second fight, after feeling his vastly increased strength compared from just three months before, petrified me. All this fear could bring out the best of me due to the extra adrenalin, but also the beast of me.


Apart from Benn, who was the hardest puncher you fought in your pro career?

EUBANK: This Hugo Corti and Graciano the German were two of the world's hardest pound-for-pound punchers as middleweights and super-middleweights, and so was Lindell Holmes for getting this fighter called Sanderline Williams out of there who Nigel or Gerald McClellan couldn't get out of there with their punching prowess.

Anthony Logan and Henry Wharton put a balanced Nigel Benn on his backside and that means they punched with more than two tonnes of force, because that's how hard I hit Nigel when balanced without putting him down. So I fought most of the most dangerous pound-for-pound hitters.


Why did you never go out of your way to make fights with Michael Nunn, James Toney and Roy Jones Jnr, each considered one of, if not the, absolute best fighter out there at one time or another?

EUBANK: You answered it yourself. In business, you want guarantee. Glory is for God.


Did you ever want to add to your WBO title with other, supposedly more prestige belts?

EUBANK: What belts do is collect dust.


Do you ever wish you had even more talent than you had?

EUBANK: I wish I had the talent to thank God much more than I do.


What angered you most in pugilism?

EUBANK: What angers me most in life is people who take advantage of the vulnerable. So, boxing managers, they could (anger me).


Who do you believe to be the best TV analyst of the sport, past or present?

EUBANK: I would say Richie Woodhall would be one, a wonderful blend of wisdom and integrity.


What was your hardest fight?

EUBANK: Michael Watson #2 fight. He was possessed, he was a train - I got hammered. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of heavy, heavy shots from every angle to the body and head every round. I couldn't even catch my breath, let alone find my range.

I could physically feel my brain rattling around inside my skull from round six onwards when I admitted to myself that he was going to defeat me, and I was excreting blood for weeks after the fight. My face looked disfigured for a week or so. His face was like stone in there even when I landed hard and heavy.

I still went through the motions after round six only to honour us both, his superiority and my fortitude and honesty. He was about as close to superhuman as you can get that night, was Michael, and it was going to take something only supernatural to defeat him.

I believe a Samurai awoke within me due to the integrity of staying there and taking my beating from my master, and the point it awoke was when my knee touched the canvas, something that was 100% unwilling and despite 100% effort to stay up. That's my belief and my take on that fight, by far the greatest fight of my career and probably the most special fight I've ever seen.


Who is your favourite ever fighter?

EUBANK: It used to be Mike Tyson, but Mike was undignified at the end of his career from the time he came out of prison. Just lately I caught a tribute video of the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson that was so poetic I had to replay it. Go to YouTube and type in Sugar Ray Robinson Tribute Video and it is I think one of the first half-dozen results, the one dated 2006.

At the beginning of this video tribute when Mr Robinson is working the speed bag, that left hook he throws is completely professional beauty. Awesome video.


How would you have fared against Roy Jones Jnr?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would you have fared against James Toney?

EUBANK: He might have beaten me on points.


How would you have fared against Michael Nunn?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would you have fared against Herol "Bomber" Graham?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


How would Chris Eubank of 1992 shape fare against Joe Calzaghe of 2002-2007 shape?

EUBANK: I wouldn't have beaten him on points.


Did you ever consider fighting Mike McCallum?

EUBANK: Yes because he was a light-middleweight who wasn't slippery or southpaw. Same with Julian Jackson. In early 1990, both Mike and Julian Jackson refused the match. When I was already world champion, why would I have drained myself to incapacitation to get down to 160lbs to face McCallum, only for him to maybe come on strong in the 10th round and stop me on body shots?


What was your best technique in the ring?

EUBANK: Multi-dimensional defense.


Care to elaborate?

EUBANK: Multi-directional foot movement, multi-directional body movement, multi-directional head movement, or covering up by cupping the edges of forehead with open fingers to cover more area and spring shots off. So, you had to conquer four dimensions to land a punch. The fifth dimension was my chin! Defense first, offense second.

I also say that you need to learn how to absorb punishment first before you can initiate it, because you do get punches in every round you ever box that go past the dimensions with speed, deception or capitalizementation, if you do possess dimensions.


How do you feel the world of boxing has changed over the years?

EUBANK: It's always evolving. It won't be like this in five years, and nothing like this in 10 to 20 years. Only God knows what it will be like in 50 or 100 years. Remember, 50 to 100 years ago, they did things like fighting every few days, using alcohol between rounds and so on. So it has always evolved and is always evolving.

Sounds like he was calling those fights like I did then strongy. Didn't mention Jackson.

Having said that, In the same way srl likes everyone to think he was clever to the detriment of his talents,  Eubank as his recent ringside appearance underlined, is so busy trying to be a philosopher (laughably so, bless him) that he'll tell everyone that it was his will and will alone that saw him through. Personally I think he had a bit more talent than he credits himself with, but that's just my own opinion.

John Bloody Wayne wrote:

milkyboy wrote:If that's the vid that cropped up a year or so ago, toney did look comfortable... That said, you never know the background to sparring, and I'm sure McClellan was less intimidating in a pillow fight. But on that performance the g man was no Dave Tiberi. 

True, could've been G Man on an offnight and Toney just about ready for a fight and sharp as ever, and sparring certainly doesn't favour the puncher, but I know who I'd be betting on. Not like it was close. Toney bossed it going forwards and back.

I'm no big fan of toney, as chris will tell you, but think is skill set is probably the perfect foil for McClellan, which is what that sparring looked like.

I read that g man claimed he owned toney in sparring... And toney said he had a video that says otherwise! Guess we've seen the vid now, but Who knows the reality, I'm sure they sparred more than once.

Strongback wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Using losing fights isn't a great way to bolster an argument.....

Mclellan was also doing very well before he became unhealthy..

Why did he become unhealthy ??

Eubank was 29 and in great shape.  I can't pick great wins after the first Collins fight because these aren't any but it is possible to put on credible losing performances, Ali v Frazier for instance.  Collins exposed Eubank twice.  Eubank was the best of the Brits, an also ran came over from America and beat him.  That tells the story.  Do you agree?


A fighter having a brain injury is very exception and is rarely the outcome in the  1000's and 1000's of fights that happen every year around the world.   The brain injury obviously indicated an underlying issue.  Some speculate McClellan was have problems long before he met Benn.

tyson was thirty and in good physical shape for the 1st holyfield fight

also quotes from fighters about the past have to be taken with a pinch of salt especially fighters who have humbled a lot since retiring. you ask big cuddly foreman about how he would do against previous atg and he would probably say they all beat him. far too nice