Was Nigel Benn a bully?

[Tomasino]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

I'd have Hagler beating both handily, Benn pretty easily. What makes you think the fights are close?

[magwitch]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

I'd have Hagler beating both handily, Benn pretty easily. What makes you think the fights are close?

Maybe close was the wrong word. I don't think they'd have been foregone conclusions, simply because Eubank and moreso Benn showed they could turn fights around.
I've never seen it but Hagler's three round demolition of Minter seems a big result to me. To upset a unified champ, in three rounds away from home sounds pretty good to me.

[hurlock]

Yes in and out of the ring .

[mickey1975]

Don't be silly!

[Tuan_Jim]

Odd to read about Leonard, Hearns et al ducking Benn - when exactly what that? I sense the mind might be playing tricks. And didn't Nigel Benn duck Michael Nunn, Sumbu Kalambay and basically all of world class boxing by fighting the journeyman Doug DeWitt for his newly invented WBO comic title? This marked the beginning of boxing's 'I WANT TO BE A WORLD CHAMPION BUT I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL FIGHTERS' long spiral into sporting irrelevancy.

The idea of ducking must arise in any conversation about Benn and Eubank, but not in their favour. Hagler bashes them both, easily.

[Boxerbeetle]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

Hagler would have handled Benn and Eubank with relative ease, as would RJJ, Toney & Hopkins.

[JC]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

Both would be respectable opponents for Hagler, but not close fights I don't think. Benn probably had harder one punch power, other than that Hagler was better than both in every department. Eubank might have gone the distance, I think Benn gets stopped mid fight like Sibson. Benn's defence improved at SMW.

[Mimmy]

The Benn v Hagler reply is a good match up. I never saw Hagler in any trouble and his chin seemed pretty rock solid. IMO I think Hagler would have done Benn late on simliar to Michael Watson. Let Benn punch himself out then boom! I just never saw Hager in any trouble so I have no idea what his resistance would be like against Benn.

[Syntax Error]

Benn wasn't a bully; the McClellan fight was proof of that.

Prior to Watson, he was drunk on his own power & hadn't learned to box properly, nor pace himself, hence why he was completely schooled by Watson & ended up being knocked out by a jab.

After Watson, he was a much better skilled fighter, but he could still be outboxed, as Sugar Boy Malinga proved twice (he was robbed the first time).

[Syntax Error]

The Benn v Hagler reply is a good match up. I never saw Hagler in any trouble and his chin seemed pretty rock solid. IMO I think Hagler would have done Benn late on simliar to Michael Watson. Let Benn punch himself out then boom! I just never saw Hager in any trouble so I have no idea what his resistance would be like against Benn.

If a fading Hagler could swallow full on bombs from the likes of Mugabi & Hearns, I have no doubt that Benn wouldn't have troubled him too much.

[palooka]

Benn wasn't a bully in that he'd bottle it if hit back but he did make the most of intimidation tactics, he'd scowl and snarl etc and a fair few of his earlier opponent's were mown over and beaten before the bout. Benn was an imposing figure but he kept on improving his skills, his power, his fitness and he became a top class fighter who would fight until he was entirely spent - he developed as a fighter and as a person, I mean his character.

[Broomhall]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

No I don't think close. For me Sibson/Minter would beat Benn and Eubank, and both got mullered by Hagler. Big jump up imo. Finnegan messed Hagler around and by all accounts was ahead on points (don't quote me) when stopped so Eubank may have given Hagler some problems-but you are talking about the guy that crushed Tommy Hearns here.

[magwitch]

Fair point. Not seen loads of Tommy tbh but I'd have backed his frame, speed and power to account for Benn Eubank, and like you say Hagler beat him - even after taking some pepper early.

Sibson was supposed to be a very good fighter so I've read.

[Mimmy]

I dont think Sibbo would have beaten Benn, again ive not seen much of Sibbo fight but what I have seen he seems a come forward kind of boxer with not much of a punch. I bet he dodged Herol Graham too, Graham would have sorted him in similar fashion to Rod Douglas. Bomber absolutely rang circles around Douglas, Douglas could not catch him at all, well he had a little success in one of the rounds. Nah, for me Benn would have knocked Sibbo out imo early on.

[reggaereggae]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

No I don't think close. For me Sibson/Minter would beat Benn and Eubank, and both got mullered by Hagler. Big jump up imo. Finnegan messed Hagler around and by all accounts was ahead on points (don't quote me) when stopped so Eubank may have given Hagler some problems-but you are talking about the guy that crushed Tommy Hearns here.

I believe Eubank is one of the most overrated fighters ever. Extremely tough and granite jawed. But he arguably should have lost plenty of decisions to frankly average, not world class fighters like Dan Schommer, Muricio Amaral, Ray close. He should prob also have lost to Nigel Benn second time and Michael Watson first.

His big wins were a brave performance against Nigel Benn, and a fight he was losing against the decent but hardly legendary Michael Watson. Both British fighters. He never fought the top fighters of the day; Toney, Jones etc

To suggest he would have a shout against Hagler is crazy. Anyone halfway to world class would've beaten him.

[Syntax Error]

What would the outcome have been in fight between Nigel Benn and Marvin Hagler, both of whom campaigned for good periods at middleweight? Prime for prime I'm talking. I get middle and super-middle mixed up quite a bit.
And also, prime Hagler prime Eubank? Would the New Jersey man have had too much for both? I think they're close fights personally.

No I don't think close. For me Sibson/Minter would beat Benn and Eubank, and both got mullered by Hagler. Big jump up imo. Finnegan messed Hagler around and by all accounts was ahead on points (don't quote me) when stopped so Eubank may have given Hagler some problems-but you are talking about the guy that crushed Tommy Hearns here.

I believe Eubank is one of the most overrated fighters ever. Extremely tough and granite jawed. But he arguably should have lost plenty of decisions to frankly average, not world class fighters like Dan Schommer, Muricio Amaral, Ray close. He should prob also have lost to Nigel Benn second time and Michael Watson first.

His big wins were a brave performance against Nigel Benn, and a fight he was losing against the decent but hardly legendary Michael Watson. Both British fighters. He never fought the top fighters of the day; Toney, Jones etc

To suggest he would have a shout against Hagler is crazy. Anyone halfway to world class would've beaten him.

You've nailed Eubank to a tee.

He was teak tough, no question, but he was a couple of towns away from the likes of Hagler.

[Boxerbeetle]

Eubank has said himself on many occasions that he would have lost to RJJ & Toney, staying in the UK & facing lots of relatively weak opposition was a conscious decision for him.

[stevedoc]

Eubank has said himself on many occasions that he would have lost to RJJ & Toney, staying in the UK & facing lots of relatively weak opposition was a conscious decision for him.

Eubanks was the Floyd of his day as in he didn't care about who was no1 he just wanted the money so he fought as often as he could v the easiest fighters he could .

[Tomasino]

Eubank has said himself on many occasions that he would have lost to RJJ & Toney, staying in the UK & facing lots of relatively weak opposition was a conscious decision for him.

Eubanks was the Floyd of his day as in he didn't care about who was no1 he just wanted the money so he fought as often as he could v the easiest fighters he could .

Floyd has beaten much better fighters that Eubank did.

[stevedoc]

Eubank has said himself on many occasions that he would have lost to RJJ & Toney, staying in the UK & facing lots of relatively weak opposition was a conscious decision for him.

Eubanks was the Floyd of his day as in he didn't care about who was no1 he just wanted the money so he fought as often as he could v the easiest fighters he could .

Floyd has beaten much better fighters that Eubank did.

Of course Floyd has he's at a completely different level than eubanks I'm saying that eubanks fought for money not glory like Floyd does

[Tomasino]

[quot="stevedoc"]

Eubank has said on many occasions that he would have lost to RJJ & Toney, staying in the UK & facing lots of relatively weak opposition was a conscious decision for him.

Eubanks was the Floyd of his day as in he didn't care about who was no1 he just wanted the money so he fought as often as he could v the easiest fighters he could .

Floyd has beaten much better fighters that Eubank did.

Of course Floyd has he's at a completely different level than eubanks I'm saying that eubanks fought for money not glory like Floyd does[/quote]


I know what you mean just think Floyd has a legit claim as the top fighter and Eubank never had that. Agree with you that Chris was all about the money and lack of risk especially after Watson fights.

[misterpunch]

I don't want to overrate him but hagler was a masterful, fearless boxer with power and a great chin. a true warrier, this guy ranks high in the all-time top middles every time a list appears. he deals with nigel and chris and Michael without fuss.

no benn was not a bully - he was also a fearless warrier with good power - not in haglers class though

[funso banjo baby]

how can you knock benn ? ridiculous

[Syntax Error]

how can you knock benn ? ridiculous

I wondered this too.

You can ask many questions of Benn, but whether he was a bully or not is not in doubt.

Bully's always fold like a newspaper when met with adversity, or complain, bitch, whine & try to get out of the fight.

When Benn faced adversity, he became more dangerous & fought back harder & even when that wasn't enough, he took his lumps & returned another day.

The only time you could criticise Benn was during his very last fight, but by then he could be forgiven because he'd given more than enough to the sport of boxing.

[Mimmy]

how can you knock benn ? ridiculous

Im not knocking Benn he was my fav fighter in the 90's. He was a terrific bloke in the ring. I really meant early on in his career before Watson fight. He was kiccking the chit out of everyone and showed no mercy.