Nigel Benn

• 1986 Amateur Boxing Association Middleweight Champion. (beat Rod Douglas in final)

After two more wins, against Sanderline Williams and Jose Quinones, Benn fought WBO middleweight title holder Doug DeWitt of the US in Atlantic City. Benn was knocked down in round two, but came back to knock DeWitt down in round three, then score three knockdowns in round eight to win the title.

His first defence came in August 1990 against former WBC champion Iran Barkley, whom he knocked down three times and stopped on the three-knockdown rule at the end of the first round. Benn returned to the UK and met British rival Chris Eubank. They fought in Birmingham on 18 November 1990. Benn lost his title to Eubank when the referee stopped the fight in the ninth round after a Technical knockout finish.

Benn then went on a winning streak of six fights leading up to another world title challenge. In 1991, he beat Marvin Hagler's half brother, Robbie Sims, by a knockout in round seven, followed by a close, disputed decision win against Thulani Malinga, and a one-punch KO victory against Dan Sherry.

On 10 October 1992, Benn challenged Mauro Galvano for the WBC super-middleweight title in Palaghiaccio de Marino, Marino, Lazio, Italy. After a controversial dispute at ringside over the official result after Galvano was unable to continue due to a severe cut, Benn was declared the winner and won the title by technical decision RTD in the third round.

While still a dangerous, and damaging puncher, Benn's move to the higher weight limit saw him refine his fight strategy and adopt a more considered approach. The aggression remained but he relied less on one punch knockout power and became a more effective, and adaptable fighter. He defended his title against fellow Britons Nicky Piper and Lou Gent, and a rematch victory over Mauro Galvano, before again Chris Eubank, who was now WBO super-middleweight champion, in a unification bout on 9 October 1993. The bout ended in a draw, with both fighters retaining their respective titles. Benn defended his title twice more in 1994 with unanimous decisions against Henry Wharton and Juan Carlos Giminez Ferreyra.

In February 1995, Benn defended his 168 lb title against WBC middleweight champion Gerald McClellan in a highly anticipated bout billed as "Sudden Impact". Going into the fight with Benn, McClellan had won his last 21 fights, the last 14 of those by knockout, and 13 of those 14 knockouts had come in Rounds 1, 2 or 3. McClellan had twice defeated one of the hardest punchers of all time in Julian Jackson, with knockouts in Round 5 and Round 1 respectively. McClellan had also never gone beyond Round 8 in any previous fight in his career, insisting that he rarely needed more than three rounds to defeat his opponents.

Benn was knocked through the ropes as McClellan dominated Round 1, but Benn hung on to survive the first round and fought his way back into the contest which developed into a brutal war. Benn was in control of the momentum of the fight around Rounds 4–6 as McClellan struggled to keep his gumshield in his mouth. A desperate McClellan struck back in Rounds 7 and 8, and Benn was knocked down again in the eighth, but an exhausted and drained McClellan was unable to follow up and Benn rallied to stop McClellan in Round 10, as McClellan took a knee and was counted out by the referee. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had McClellan ahead and one had the fight even, although those scorecards are from the end of Round 9, and therefore not counting the two knockdowns Benn scored on McClellan in the tenth.

McClellan was severely injured as a result of the fight. After collapsing in his corner after the fight had finished, McClellan was rushed to hospital where it was discovered he had developed a blood clot on the brain. To this day McClellan suffers from bad short-term memory problems, is almost completely blind, partially deaf, and uses a wheelchair, although he has regained some movement and some of his hearing since 1995, having been 80% deaf in 1995 and he can now walk with a cane. In 2007, McClellan, his sister and children attended a benefit dinner organised and hosted by Benn to help McClellan with his ongoing medical expenses.

After his brutal war with McClellan, Benn had two more successful title defences, with wins against future WBC title-holder Vincenzo Nardiello and against American Danny Perez, before Benn then lost his title to Malinga in 1996.

In 1996, Benn attempted to take the WBO super-middleweight title twice from Steve Collins but failed in both attempts: losing by TKO in Round 4 . Benn sustained an ankle injury and retired from boxing following his second loss to Collins in November, with his corner having retired Benn on his stool at the end of Round 6.

On 24 September 2019, Benn announced that he would be returning to boxing at the age of 55, 23 years after his last fight, saying that he wanted "closure" after the unsatisfactory end to his boxing career in 1996. Benn was set to fight former WBC super-middleweight world champion Sakio Bika (34-7-3) on 23 November 2019. The British Boxing Board of Control refused to sanction the fight, which instead was to be sanctioned by the British and Irish Boxing Authority.[1] The fight was subsequently called off after Benn suffered a shoulder injury in sparring. A disappointed Benn also confirmed that he was abandoning his planned boxing comeback.[2]