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...

Iran Barkley Iran Barkley was taught to box in the Bronx by his sister Yvonne. He was born on 06th May 1960 and aged twenty-one was runner-up in the New York Golden Gloves and the gold medallist in the Empire State Games as a middleweight. The following year, staying as a middleweight, he won a sliver medal at the United States Amateur Championships and gained bronze at the Copenhagen Box Cup and the World Amateur Championships in Munich. 'The Blade' turned professional in December 1982 and stopped the undefeated (3-0) Larry Jordan with a second-round TKO. He picked up his first defeat, a six-round points decision against Osley Silas, to drop to 4-1 with three stoppages. Barkley won his next three, but at the start of 1984, he ran into the more seasoned Robbie Sims, who stopped him in the sixth round. With two more wins under his belt, he finished the year with another points defeat against Eddie Hall. In February 1985 he gained revenge for his first defeat b...