The Boxing History Blog

Nigel Benn With three wins under his belt after surrendering his Commonwealth middleweight title to Michael Watson, Nigel Benn stayed in America and challenged Doug 'Cobra' DeWitt, the inaugural WBO middleweight champion. DeWitt proved his durability by taking Thomas Hearns the full twelve rounds in an unsuccessful bid for the North American Boxing Federation middleweight crown in October 1986. DeWitt was born in Youngstown, Ohio on 14th September 1961 and later moved to Yonkers, New York. He started boxing at fifteen and three years later turned professional, outscoring Peter Pennello in March 1980. The Hearns defeat was the seventh blemish on his record of 27-4-3 (17 KO's), with Ben Serrano, Robbie Sims and Milton McCrory all outscoring him. He also lost his next contest, a third-round TKO to Jose Quinones in February 1987 (Benn took care of Quinones in the first round in December 1989). Three wins and a draw later got him a shot at Sumbu Kalambay for the W

Nigel Benn Nigel Benn, a Lance Corporal for the First Battalion of Royal Fusiliers was an undefeated welterweight between 1982 and 1984. Only Rod Douglas beat him as an amateur, a loss he later avenged. In 1986 he captured the ABA middleweight title, defeating Gloucester's Johnny Melfah in the final. Benn finished his unpaid career with a record of  41-1. He turned professional in disgust as Douglas was preferred by the Great Britain team to compete in the Commonwealth Games ahead of him. On 28th January 1987, Benn stopped Graeme Ahmed, from South Shields, in the second round on his debut in the paid ranks. The knockouts and stoppages came thick and fast and by April 1988 he was lined up to fight Ghana's Abdul Umaru Sanda for the Commonwealth middleweight crown. In typical explosive fashion, the champion succumbed to Benn's power in round two as he improved to 17-0, all by kayo. Six months later he made the first defence of his domestic title against the J