Nigel Benn was one of the legends of the super middleweight division back in his heyday.
The Brit competed from 1987 to 1996 and, after becoming the WBO middleweight ruler in 1990, he moved up and was the WBC super-middleweight champion for four years from 1992. He hit famously hard and ended his career with an 83.3% knockout percentage, winning 42 of his 48 contests, losing five times and drawing once.
Benn beat many world champions along the way including Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley, Thulani Malinga, Mauro Galvano and Gerald McClellan, though famously lost to Michael Watson and Chris Eubank before drawing a rematch in 1993.
Despite ‘The Dark Destroyer’ being known for his ferocity and confidence, speaking to Boxing Scene he admitted there is one man – undefeated two-weight world champion Joe Calzaghe – that he feels would have the beating of him.
“Joe struggled against nobodies. But when he stepped up in class to fight the likes of Jeff Lacy, for instance, he made them look like nobodies. I’d have loved him to have been around in my heyday. I’ll be honest enough to admit I think he would have beaten me – he’d have been in a fight though,”
Calzaghe – who did face and beat Benn rival Eubank Sr – never lost in the boxing ring and retired in 2008. The Welsh southpaw is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best fighter from UK shores. In the same interview, Benn backed him to beat not only the best from his era, but many great fighters from past generations.
