Two-division world champion Nigel Benn captured the hearts of the British public during the 1990’s for his front-footed, aggressive style and bravery. After facing numerous greats over the course of his career, ‘The Destroyer’ has now named the man who stands out as his ‘toughest’ test.
Benn will forever be linked to Chris Eubank after the pair captivated fight fans across two historic showdowns, losing the first and controversially drawing the second, despite most viewers believing he had done enough to win.
Aside from that famous rivalry, Benn shared the ring with former champions such as Iran Barkley, Mauro Galvano, Doug DeWitt, Thulani Malinga and Steve Collins, but speaking to ‘Through The Ropes’, he said two-time champion Gerald McClellan stands alone as his toughest fight during his nine-year professional career.
“Gerald McClellan, the hardest puncher by far. There was other good fighters that I fought, I fought a guy called Reggie Miller who was very skilful. Then you’ve got Chris [Eubank] who was a good boxer and a good puncher.”
Benn famously knocked McClennan out in the tenth-round of a career-best performance in 1995. However, the night will unfortunately be forever tainted by the injury that the American consequently suffered.
The Reggie Miller fight came eight years prior, in Benn’s twelfth professional contest, where he won by technical-knockout in the seventh-round of the bout, when Miller was 22-6 at the time.
Miller would fight for another thirteen years following the defeat but win on just five occasions, retiring with a record of 27-18-1 and being knocked out in each of the following eleven defeats, including losses to Roy Jones Jr and Michael Watson, before hanging up the gloves in 2000.