NIGEL BENN draw pts 12 CHRIS EUBANK
October 9, 1993; Old Trafford, Manchester
ONE of the most eagerly awaited fights in British boxing history was three years in the making. Since losing his WBO middleweight title to Chris Eubank in 1990, Nigel Benn had reinvented himself as the WBC super-middleweight champion, a weight class his old rival had also moved to. Eubank and Benn were an irresistible pairing. “If you’re going to dislike Chris Eubank, do so for the right reasons,” said Eubank. “And there are no right reasons to dislike Chris Eubank.” Even so, he was very much the villain going in. “I detest him, I can’t stand him,” said Benn. What followed over 12 rounds lacked the raw excitement of the first bout but it’s well worth watching again in its own right. At the end, most felt Benn was unlucky to only get a draw.
DID YOU KNOW? The night before the fight – which drew more bets from gamblers than any other British fight going in – Manchester was awash with rain and wind but the conditions eased ahead of the rematch.
WATCH OUT FOR: One week after their heavyweight clash, Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno are among the analysts but John McCririck fighting for attention with Don King is as unmissable as it is bizarre.
