Nigel Benn is one of the UK’s most recognisable boxers, but one fighter stands out in his 48 fight career as the toughest man he ever fought.
Benn was an all-action fighter who threw himself full into ever fight, was aggressive on the front foot and very much fought with the belief that attack is the best form of defence.
Nicknamed ‘The Dark Destroyer’, he won by knockout in 35 of his 48 fights and retired with an impressive 83.3% knockout ratio.
Along the way, he picked up the WBC super-middleweight championship in 1992 and made several defences against the likes of Gerald McClellan and Danny Perez, but lost the title to Thulani Malinga in March 1996.
He fought twice more in the same year, both times against Steve Collins for the WBO belt, and both ended in losses and sent him into retirement.
When asked by The Ring Magazine to name the opponent he faced with the most granite chin, there was only one answer.
“Chris Eubank and you don’t even need to ask me that (laughs). I could hit Chris’ chin with anything and it wouldn’t even move.
“It was like hitting a lump of granite, but to be honest, I enjoyed pummeling that chin. Look, I love Chris, and we’re old men now, so I can laugh and joke about it. I needed him as much he needed me.”
Benn and Eubank fought twice, first in 1990 for the WBO middleweight title when Eubank won by TKO, then again in 1993 for the WBC and WBO super-middleweight straps, when the judges ruled the contest a split decision.
Famously, the men’s sons fought twice in 2025, with Eubank Jr winning the first and Conor Benn winning the rematch, and a third contest is now the most likely fight for both men.
