Nigel Benn - Ringside

Just wondering did anybody watch the Ringside special with him last night? I have to say he is a breath of fresh air. There are very few fighters or even sport stars I've seen being so honest and open about their achievements and the achievements of others.

He spoke openly about his fights with Eubank and how much he disliked him(at the time as they seem to be friends now). He said of the British guys he fought he though that Michael Watson was the most complete fighter of the lot. Very interesting considering the quality he faced from Britain in his career. Are there any others that rate Watson as highly as that?

Other interesting point was he was asked how did he rate Calzaghe and does he think he would've beaten him. He said that he thinks Calzaghe would've been too good for him and also that Calzaghe was better than any of the British fighters he fought in his career. Anybody agree with that?

On a side note he said that his son is 16 and aims to be a professional boxer. How interesting would it be if he fought Eubank Junior. Have there been any examples in the past of 2 generations of a family fightiing?

Really enjoyed it, the guy that really got me into boxing initially.

Probably the best bit from my point of view was that he actually sounded a little together. Saw him interviewed at a fight a while back and he sounded all slury, was nice to see that he had probably just had a little to drink rather than being damaged.

He was very complimentary about other boxers and sounded very humble about his own achievements.

Steffan is going to love his Calzaghe comments.

Only thing I would say as a slight negative on the programme was that they had all the younger boxers there and it seemed a little pointless. None of them really asked him anything and other than 'stay dedicated' he didn't really pass anything on to them, just don't feel that actually brought anything to the show - however I'm sure behind the scenes it would have been nice for them to meet him.

Generally came across as a decent guy.

There is something attractive about his enthusiasm isn't there....Engaging personality for sure. Heart on his sleeve kind of guy..

Actually got me thinking that four years unbeaten as super midd champion....(.A draw against Eubank, Wharton and the prize of Mcclellan on his record..) gives him an argument for a top 5 suppermidd of alltime and a place above Froch for now...

He found God didn't he? Wasn't that the reason for the majority of his contrition now?

I used to like watching him fight, but plenty of stuff I have read about his past doesn't really paint him in such a good light. No major issues with that, as we all have a past that includes chapters we would rather forget, but I think he has some way to go to to reach forgiveness for all his past indiscretions.

I always found his attitude a bit vague when pressed about taking PED's prior to any of his fights. He always seemed to take the 'I didn't take anything DURING training for a fight'. It never felt like he was categorically denying it to my mind, just denying taking them in training. Perhaps that was just my take on it though.

It is hard to know how much the McClellan fight impacted on his soul but if he is finding some peace and contrition now, that can only be a good thing.

He was the least of my favourites back in the day, I much preferred Eubank and Watson, but he sure was an entertaining fighter.

N.B. Should say, I didn't see the show so I am not basing anything on that.

Couldn't stand that muppet he had as manager back in the day.....Think he went to jail.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Couldn't stand that muppet he had as manager back in the day.....Think he went to jail.

Ambrose Mendy, wasn't it?

Mendy ended up in clink for fraud.

I went to one of those dinner shows a few months back and Benn spoke very well. He said he was addicted to drugs throughout his career (ecstacy), took a pasting in a U.S. gym from Freddie Pendleton, claimed Eubank had rang him only days prior asking for a third fight and that he'd "do as Benn pleased" in the ring (cough, cough, ahem). His kid was there with him (which was a bit awkward when he went into his infidelity).

He also slapped me on the back as we posed for the photo they throw into your admission price and nearly knocked a lung out. Strong man. Wouldn't like to have been thumped by him.

Re the '2 generations' question, didn't the Frazier and Ali daughters have a scrap?

hazharrison wrote:Mendy ended up in clink for fraud.

I went to one of those dinner shows a few months back and Benn spoke very well. He said he was addicted to drugs throughout his career (ecstacy), took a pasting in a U.S. gym from Freddie Pendleton, claimed Eubank had rang him only days prior asking for a third fight and that he'd "do as Benn pleased" in the ring (cough, cough, ahem). His kid was there with him (which was a bit awkward when he went into his infidelity).

He also slapped me on the back as we posed for the photo they throw into your admission price and nearly knocked a lung out. Strong man. Wouldn't like to have been thumped by him.

took a pasting in a U.S. gym from Freddie Pendleton, claimed Eubank had rang him only days prior asking for a third fight and that he'd "do as Benn pleased" in the ring (cough, cough, ahem). - Do you mean that he'd throw the fight or what do you mean by that?

I don't imagine he'd have laid down but they certainly wouldn't have been hurting each other in there. Toy fight.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Re the '2 generations' question, didn't the Frazier and Ali daughters have a scrap?

Yup, Ali beat Frazier-Lyde (I think she was called) on points I believe.

That was an absolute treat to watch, brilliant interview!

Loved it last night. A genuine person who was open and honest. Touching at times with referals to his upbringing and his past problems with his Wife.

A great fighter and its is refreshing to see him looking well and making sense unlike some past brilliant fighters.

There were a couple of squaddies there also that he served with in the forces -- you'd think they were long lost brothers. He made a massive effort with them -- top bloke.

"A genuine person who was open and honest"

With all due respect none of us know the guy......My experience is that very religious types are the biggest hypocrites of them all..

Not to say this guy is a hypocrite but not to judge a book by it's cover..

I like him ........but I don't know him..

Truss getting positive about Benn. Must be mellowing!. Ive met Benn a few times and he seems in a much happier place now. Alot more content.

Haito wrote:Truss getting positive about Benn. Must be mellowing!. Ive met him a few times and he seems in a much happier place now. Alot more content.

Who Truss? Am not seeing much evidence of it to be honest.

Rowley wrote:

Haito wrote:Truss getting positive about Benn. Must be mellowing!. Ive met him a few times and he seems in a much happier place now. Alot more content.

Who Truss? Am not seeing much evidence of it to be honest.

Hes just trying to fit in with you northerners.

Nigal Benn talks a load of b*ll.

He used to go to orgies wearing a thong.

As if you haven't.

its hard to tell with benn, the guy is always aware of the fact he has an audience, and he is charismatic enough to portray himself however he wants to any given time. but it does seem genuine the fact he has mellowed with age, is at peace with himself, and has genuine respect for eubank and watson. i hope thats true. however i have never found him a particularly tasteful or likeable guy. i was always a eubank fan though, even early on...

I would agree that Watson was the best and most complete boxer out of the 3 of them, ko'd Benn with brilliant tactics and in my opinion was jobbed against Eubank in the first fight and then desperately unlucky in the rematch. Thought he looked the best he ever had that night against Eubank in the rematch, I would say possibly in with a shot of beating McCallum had he been able to put up that kind of performance against him.

I always got the impression that McCallum tried doing the bare minimum to beat our boys and stepped it up as required, it backfired against Kalambay but were any of them to have performed better he himself would have down.

You could well be right about that IG, I just felt that Watson during the second Eubank fight was so physically imposing, as though he'd trained as perfectly as he could and it showed immensly. Just felt something was lacking in from the Watson that went up against McCallum, but you could well be right that McCallum had other gears to go up.

It was his physical size that contributed to his injuries though Alex, so swings and roundabouts there.

I thought it was Eubank punching him in the head.

Ultimately yes but his struggles to make weight were also a large contributing factor, having to dehydrate your body without having enough to rehydrate properly effects the brains ability to take blows to the head.

Fair enough, I didn't actually realise he struggled to make the 168 limit having been his first fight at 168.

He imposed himself on Eubank because Eubank thought he could not win and fought accordingly. Then he knocked Eubank down and that triggered his killer instinct and boom - it was the end of both their careers. Thankfully everything was alright to the point of his recovery but that really did mess Eubank up.

ShahenshahG wrote:He imposed himself on Eubank because Eubank thought he could not win and fought accordingly. Then he knocked Eubank down and that triggered his killer instinct and boom - it was the end of both their careers. Thankfully everything was alright to the point of his recovery but that really did mess Eubank up.

Eubank thought that he couldn't win?

Eubank did say in the 2001 documentary 'The Michael Watson Story' that, as the fight wore on, he'd given up any hope of winning in his head as it goes, Alex, and that he was just determined to make sure that he could walk out of the ring on his own two feet and see the final bell. "You're going to walk out the loser, but at least walk out" is what he was telling himself, if I remember correctly.

Eubank was such an unpredictable enigma and it's virtually impossible to make sense of him a lot of the time, mind you.

Ah, right I thought Shah was meaning that he originally walked into the ring not believing he would win rather than the belief being drained out of him, which are two entirely different things.

I think it's possible Eubank had almost said that for slight dramatic effect to be honest, I watched The Michael Watson Story quite recently, though can't really remember that part so could be wrong. As before he got knocked down if you remember he really went at Watson and had him in a bit of trouble, whether you count it as believing in himself or just going for broke is slightly open to interpretation I guess.

True Alex but remember he was just swinging on the off chance and when he landed he sniffed a little bit of a chance so he went at it. Remember how drained he looked when he couldnt find Watson enough to capitalize. Its just one of those things, you get a little bit of the adrenaline going and throw everything at it. The way he just fell over both on the rope after that flurry and the knockdown suggested he was going to be stopped on sheer exhaustion. Thats why the uppercut was such a shock to both watson and everyone watching. Watson thought he was finished, everyone thought it was over - that when Eubank threw it he didnt even move, and bang.

Always thought it was the greatest uppercut ever landed, point of the chin but what happened after really obscured it.

Yeah, you're probably right, I've always thought that uppercut that he threw was just sort of a "I'll just try it and commit fully" sort of punch, what did he really have to lose?

Ive seen it happen before, Bugner for example, was playing his usual safety first game with a slight more aggression then Frazier knocked him down and Bugner hit him with a monster punch. He did it against allen too who peed him off by headbutting him. some fighters just kick off when you think they've had it and you do something that they find embarrassing, insulting etc. Eubank was one of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-_OMnt3YUs 2:50 onwards

The punch together with the whiplash when Mike's neck hit the bottom rope caused much of the damage. But who is to say that the damage was there prior to that uppercut? Mike was fighting at a pace which was inhuman. He lost a lot of body fluid and was probably dehydrated before that punch landed.

I went to a local boxing show in December and Benn was headlining it with an exhibition match at the end with a local boxer from my neck of the woods. It was a great night and he was very frank and honest with his intentions of why he was doing what he was doing and that I can respect. I wish him nothing but luck over in Australia.