Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr met in two epic fights in the 1990s.
The first meeting took place in November 1990, where Eubank won by ninth round TKO to claim the WBO middleweight title.
A rematch then occurred at Old Trafford in October 1993, this time at 168lbs, but it ended in a split decision draw, meaning Benn kept hold of his WBC super-middleweight title and Eubank retained his WBO super-middleweight belt.
Over 30 years later, their sons are now set to do battle, when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
While Benn’s first loss to Eubank Sr in 1990 was just one of four times in Benn’s 48 fight career that he was stopped, he has named another man as the hardest to ever hit him, telling The Ring who claimed that honour.
“Gerald McClellan. As I said, the gap between him and the rest in terms of power was huge. He was in a league of his own, but I had to win that fight because everyone thought I was going to lose.
“What happened was I was due to fight Michael Nunn and it got back to me that I would have to take $100,000 less and I said, “Are you mad?” Michael was a slippery southpaw, his name was “Second to” Nunn and I’ve to take $100,000 less? That could have been my last fight because Michael was one of the best around at that time, so I said no chance.
“The answer I got was, fight Nunn or we’ll bring over a mini-Mike Tyson (McClellan). Now, you have to understand I was in the army and had a ton of street fights, so I’m not scared to take on anyone. I’m not made that way, but once my fight with Gerald was over I should have retired.
Gerald McClellan was by far [the best opponent overall]. He had an incredible knockout ratio and he was a prolific puncher. There was a mile between him and anyone else. I came out of that fight with a damaged nose, a damaged jaw and I was urinating blood. I was in bed for three days afterwards and I had a shadow on my brain. That shows you how powerful a champion that man was.”
Benn and McClellan fought in February 1995, with Benn winning by 10th round knockout to retain his WBC super-middleweight title. Unfortunately, that defeat saw McClellan suffer a severe brain injury, forcing him to retire.
