by James Slater: “The Dark Destroyer,” Nigel Benn, is one of Britain’s best known and admired fighters of recent years. Tremendously exciting almost every time out, Benn became a massive household name in the 1980s and ’90s. Now long retired and also hugely religious today, Benn recently gave an exclusive interview with U.K newspaper The Sun. In the interview, the former middleweight and super-middleweight world champion spoke about some of the biggest names currently dominating his former sport.
At one point in the interview, Nigel was asked what he felt about Joe Calzaghe.
“If Joe had been around with me, Chris Eubank and Steve Collins, he would have had some harder fights than he gets today,” Benn told The Sun. “But I still think he would have come out on top. You’ve got to give it to him, what he’s achieved, being an undefeated fighter for a decade takes a special fighter. He would have had a good fight with me. He’d probably have beaten me although he would have known he’d been in a fight with me. Don’t get me wrong, but he slaps hard. And he doesn’t go down. I take my hat off to him. Joe’s a credit to boxing.”
A very humble Nigel Benn, indeed. And his honest appraisal of Calzaghe shows the former world champion’s undeniable class also. One thing is for sure, whatever your opinion on who would have won out of Benn and Calzaghe had they met when each was in their prime, the fight would have been a classic.
Nigel also spoke about another British fighter currently getting his share of press – David Haye. Does Benn think Haye has what it takes to make it up at heavyweight?
“Yeah, because at the moment you’ve got to look at who else is out there in the division,” Benn said when asked if Haye was the real deal at heavyweight. ” You can see Haye will be a fast and powerful heavyweight. If he gets to fight Wladimir Klitschko I think he’ll stop him. I don’t think the Ukrainian can cope if he takes a shot. If you watch him [Klitschko], he keeps powering out his jab, powering out his jab and only moves in if he feels his opponent wobble. But if he takes a good shot he retreats back into his shell. Haye can deliver that shot.”
It seems clear Benn is a believer in “The Hayemaker.” And Nigel makes some good points about Klitschko’s fighting style, too.
Benn also spoke about the recent retirement announcement of Floyd Mayweather. Does he feel “Money” will stay retired?
“They all say that [they’re retired] until somebody sticks a multi-million pound contract under their nose, then they put their gloves back on, don’t they?”
Benn, as is the case with a number of other people, has an idea that Mayweather will box again one day. We will see if he is correct in time.
Benn himself will never be tempted to make a comeback, though.
“I made a lot of money in boxing, but there’s more to life than money,” Nigel stated. “The most important thing in life is not money, because I had the money, it’s knowing Jesus.”
Content and at peace with himself, the former “Dark Destroyer” is a happy man in retirement.