Nigel Benn admits that one of his 48 opponents hit him harder than anyone else.
Benn, who recently named Joe Calzaghe as one of the best ever British boxers, is a much-loved former middleweight and super-middleweight champion. He retired with an 83.3% knockout ratio after defeating the likes of Doug DeWitt, Thulani Malinga and Mauro Galvano, though arguably his most famous fights were a draw with and a loss to his long-time British rival Chris Eubank Snr.
However, when asked by The Ring Magazine for their Best I Faced feature who hit him hardest, Benn stated in no uncertain terms that it was American Gerald McClellan.
“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.”
Both men ended that fight in 1995 with a trip to hospital and it is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most brutal encounters. Benn defended his WBC super-middleweight strap with a 10th-round KO victory despite being the underdog. The damage McClellan sustained in the fight led to him falling into a coma for two weeks and suffering life-altering hearing, memory and mobility problems.
Been fought five more times, losing three and eventually retiring in 1996 after his second defeat to Steve Collins.
