5. Nigel Benn KO 2 Anthony Logan
https://youtu.be/Mpow9cXPyUU?t=5m20s
‘The Dark Destroyer’ Nigel Benn embodied in this one round, everything that he became renown for; toughness, persistence, doggedness and most importantly bad intentions!
Benn had been steadily rising through the middleweight rankings. He was undefeated and boasted a record of 19-0 with every single victory coming by way of knockout.
Benn got momentarily shaken to his boots after absorbing an almighty right hand and was on the ropes taking hefty punishment.
But there is an old saying in boxing, “a hurt fighter is a dangerous fighter”. Benn as he always did in his career demonstrated just how true that statement is.
Benn was teetering on the brink of destruction, but somehow when he came out of nowhere and unfurled a left hook from hell which left Anthony Logan down and out for the count.
4. Nigel Benn TKO 4 Mauro Galvano
‘The Dark Destroyer’ Nigel Benn became a 2-weight world champion when he conquered Mauro Galvano.
Benn travelled to the WBC super middleweight champion’s home turf, in Lazio, Italy for what was a pivotal night in his career; in brief, Benn was on the comeback trail and had racked up six back-to-back victories following surrendering his WBO world middleweight title in a bitter first fight with Chris Eubank Sr in 1990.
Benn once again overwhelmed his inferior opponent with his swarming, aggressive style of fighting. This fight didn’t have quite the same conclusive ending associated with many of Benn’s fights.
After a controversial dispute at ringside over the official result after Galvano was unable to continue due to a severe cut, Benn was declared the winner and won the title by a fourth-round TKO.
3. Nigel Benn TKO 8 Doug DeWitt
This was the night that Benn proved himself on the world level; the night he became a world champion for the first time.
Doug DeWitt had gone the distance against credible opposition such as Tommy Hearns and fellow Kronk fighter, Milton McCrory.
Benn had gradually broken his opponent down and was on top of his opponent from the opening bell. In the fight’s eighth round he saw a weakened foe and moved in for the kill.
A sharp left hook proved too much for DeWitt to be able to withstand early in the round. Benn refused to let DeWitt get any time to recover and unloaded a barrage of short punches on the inside, forcing him to take a knee.
DeWitt groggily rose to his feet as a frantic, energetic Benn menacingly waited in the corner ready for the action to reconvene.
DeWitt immediately began to back peddle and retreat following the knockdown, but it was too late for him. The Benn all-action assault had taken its toll on DeWitt and his legs had begun to betray him.
Benn cornered him a final time and sent another left hook in DeWitt’s direction which caused him to crash to the canvas, thus activating the WBO’s three knockdown rule and the bout was waved off.
2. Nigel Benn TKO 1 Iran Barkley
https://youtu.be/kOSrP9d8jbM?t=6m38s
Iran Barkley was a ferocious competitor, just how tough was he? Well, this man who began his career at middleweight went on to inflict a stoppage on former WBA world heavyweight titleholder, Gerrie Coetzee.
‘The Blade’ was at the peak of his powers when he collided with Benn; coming off the most stellar period of his career mixing it up with the likes of Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran and Michael Nunn.
But he wasn’t prepared for the power that lurked inside the fists of a knockout-artist like Nigel Benn. ‘The Dark Destroyer’ swarmed on his rugged foe from the get-go.
It became readily apparent from the start, Benn’s gameplan was to exchange at every opportunity and test the durability of his opponent’s chin.
The sound of the first bell had barely left the ear before Benn came flying out at Barkley, he forced Barkley into his corner and hurt him on the ropes for the fight’s first knockdown.
Barkley following the first knockdown made every attempt to minimise the exchanges following the knockdown and looked to tie his man up.
But with Benn’s style dictating the tempo of the bout, Barkley decided to go for broke and let his hands go in desperation in an attempt to hold off the onslaught.
Barkley did catch an over-anxious Benn with a left hook forcing the roles to reverse.
Benn was now the fighter on the backfoot, looking to evade.
Benn bravely fought his way off the ropes and brought the action back into the ring centre.
However, a series of hooks, as well as an uppercut, fell Barkley once again.
After the first knockdown, Barkley was no longer clear-headed and was now ripe for the picking. Benn once again came out for the kill against Barkley and finished him off by putting him on the seat of his pants.
That was the fight’s third knockdown which caused the WBO middleweight title to change hands.
1. Nigel Benn KO 10 Gerald McClellan
This fight will forever be remembered for its tragic and life-changing consequences. Forever changing the life of 2-weight world champion, Gerald ‘G-Man’ McClellan in unfathomable ways.
But for as long as it lasted, what a battle for the ages this fight was. McClellan was a protegee of the famous Emmanuel Steward and many expected him to be the next Thomas Hearns.
As he resembled him in the sense he was a rangy, powerful boxer-puncher with concussive knockout ability.
McClellan started fast and backed Benn up towards the ropes where he began to set him up with his jab before unloading his arsenal, repeatedly finding his mark.
Benn then went through the ropes and was almost lifeless on the ring apron, shell-shocked by the power he was up against.
Benn later in an interview with The RING magazine, recalled that nobody ever hit him as hard as McClellan did; in addition, many felt that McClellan had done enough damage to warrant a stoppage.
But Benn falling out of the ring led to referee Alfred Asaro misinterpreting the rules and incorrectly issuing a count of 20.
Benn once again demonstrated his tremendous heart and resolve. Benn overcame the early storm to gradually break down his opponent.
The fight was brought to a halt after 10 tremendous action-packed rounds when McClellan sank to one knee and received the full count. In conclusion, McClellan collapsed shortly after the end of the bout.
What happened next was tragic…
READ MORE:
Sugar Ray Leonard: Top five knockouts
Lennox Lewis: Top five knockouts