Nigel Benn
In February 1995,
Benn defended his 168 lb title against WBC middlewweight champion
Gerald McClellan in a highly anticipated bout billed as "Sudden Impact".
Going into the fight with Benn, McClellan had won his last 21 fights,
the last 14 of those by knockout, and 13 of those 14 knockouts had
come in rounds 1,2 or 3. McClellan had twice defeated one of the hardest
punchers of all time in Julian Jackson, with knockouts in round 5
and round 1 respectively. McClellan had also never gone beyond round
8 in any previous fight in his career, insisting that he rarely needed
more than three rounds to defeat his opponents.
Benn was knocked
through the ropes as McClellan dominated round 1, but Benn hung on
to survive the first round and fought his way back into the contest
which developed into a brutal war. Benn was in control of the momentum
of the fight around rounds 4-6 as McClellan struggled to keep his
gumshield in his mouth. A desperate McClellan struck back in rounds
7 and 8, and Benn was knocked down again in the eighth, but an exhausted
and drained McClellan was unable to follow up and Benn rallied to
stop McClellan in round 10, as McClellan took a knee and was counted
out by the referee. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had McClellan
ahead and one had the fight even, although those scorecards are from
the end of round 9, and therefore not counting the two knockdowns
Benn scored on McClellan in the tenth.
McClellan was severely
injured as a result of the fight. After collapsing in his corner after
the fight had finished, McClellan was rushed to hospital where it
was discovered he had developed a blood clot on the brain. To this
day McClellan suffers from bad short term memory problems, is almost
completely blind, partially deaf, and uses a wheelchair, although
he has regained some movement and some of his hearing since 1995,
having been 80% deaf in 1995 and can now walk with a cane. In 2007,
McClellan, his sister and children attended a benefit dinner organised
and hosted by Benn to help McClellan with his ongoing medical expenses.
After
his grutal war with McClellan, Benn had two more successful title
defences, with wins against future WBC title-holder Vincenzo Nardiello
and against American Danny Perez, before Benn then lost his title
to Malinga in 1996.
Benn vs. Collins I and II
In 1996, Benn twice
attempted to take the WBO super middleweight title from Steve Collins
but failed in both attempt: losing by TKO in round 4 in the first
fight in July, after Benn sustained an ankle injury. Benn retired
from boxing following his second loss to Collins in November, with
his corner having retired Benn on his stool at the end of round 6.
