Nigel- I was never a boxing fan, anyway

[Miuna]

from This Is Hertfordshire

From about 1987 to about 2002, all the Dark Destroyer character did was hurt people. So I want to draw a line under the Dark Destroyer character and that means no memorabilia in my church - my home.

No, I would never want to be a boxer if I had my time over - think about it.

If I was only good enough to be Southern Area champion or British champion, it wouldn't secure me after my career.

If I was good enough to be world champion, I wouldn't have a clue who my friends were and who weren't and I'd never be able to be faithful in a relationship because I'd have girls and women throwing themselves at me like frisbees.

So no, I wouldn't want to be a boxer again. God teaches us to love our fellow man and woman, not hurt them.

I'm very proud of what my flesh achieved but I was never really a boxing nut growing up. I only boxed to vent aggression and my favourite boxers were Hagler and Tyson because they were aggressive.

When I won my WBC title, I said in the post-fight interview that the belt is Michael Watson's, because boxing was his existence. I gave the belt to Michael, but took it back when he accused me of doing cocaine.

The British public were my life and soul, they were the one's who got me through fights, they were the one's who willed me to win and I responded.

[Big Pussy]

Benn is starting to p1ss me off with his self-righteous, religious ramblings.

Funny how he's preaching yet still sinning

[Arnie]

Was thinking the same thing myself mate. If you know what I mean, used to love him when he was fighting but dont feel the same now. To much bullshit

[Arnie]

Was thinking the same thing myself mate. If you know what I mean, used to love him when he was fighting but dont feel the same now. To much bullshit

[Arnie]

Was thinking the same thing myself mate. If you know what I mean, used to love him when he was fighting but dont feel the same now. To much bullshit

[oliverfennell]

He did well out of boxing but what happened with McClellan probably messed him up, religion or no religion.

[Neri]

He has obviously been scarred mentally and traumatised by the whole McClellan tragedy and if he has something to believe in to get him over his demons then so what. If you view his opinions and "religious ramblings" as something that pisses you off then simple, don't read what he has to say.

If his religion helps him along in life then good on him.

[Chambers2]

He did well out of boxing but what happened with McClellan probably messed him up, religion or no religion.

Thats what I thought, which is why I won't treat his comments too harshly, something like the McClellan incident must have a big psychological impact, especially as it could have been Nigel in Geralds shoes.

He has obviously been scarred mentally and traumatised by the whole McClellan tragedy and if he has something to believe in to get him over his demons then so what. If you view his opinions and "religious ramblings" as something that pisses you off then simple, don't read what he has to say.

If his religion helps him along in life then good on him.

Yeah spot on. I'm not religous in any shape or form, in fact I'm probably anti-religion due to the amount of grief it causes around the world, but there is no doubt that it does have a positive impact on some people.

[Rocky Balboa]

I can understand why some may be becoming tired of all these quotes from Benn, but I guess it's each to their own.

Nigel should remember, that without Boxing, he would not have been able to receive big purses for contests, live in luxury, own a mansion in Spain & other properties etc.

If Benn wants to seperate himself from Boxing now, then that's fine, but he should first & formost, remember what the sport gave him. It gave him the opportunity to make something of himself, to be rich, to be famous, to eanr hmiself a big fan base etc.

If anything, Benn owes boxing, not the other way around.

[Neri]

If anything, Benn owes boxing, not the other way around.

Benn certainly doesn't owe boxing anything either. It made him financially secure but it wasn't as if boxing handed him a load of cash when he was broke and down, he earnt that through sheer hard work. He gave his all everytime he entered the ring and put it all on the line many a time. He has more than paid his dues to the world of boxing. Without Benn playing his part, I doubt english boxing would have thrived quite like it did back then. As we all know he was a major ingredient for this countries image of boxing. If Benn were in hardship financially we would all be saying boxing owes him.

It's not as if he is saying boxing is the devil. As you grow older you adopt new beliefs and he is just saying it's a part of his life he will be putting behind him and looking to the future.

[SticknMove]

If anything, Benn owes boxing, not the other way around.

Benn certainly doesn't owe boxing anything either. It made him financially secure but it wasn't as if boxing handed him a load of cash when he was broke and down, he earnt that through sheer hard work. He gave his all everytime he entered the ring and put it all on the line many a time. He has more than paid his dues to the world of boxing. Without Benn playing his part, I doubt english boxing would have thrived quite like it did back then. As we all know he was a major ingredient for this countries image of boxing. If Benn were in hardship financially we would all be saying boxing owes him.

It's not as if he is saying boxing is the devil. As you grow older you adopt new beliefs and he is just saying it's a part of his life he will be putting behind him and looking to the future.

Excellent post Neri. Spot on.

[stujones]

So either Benn lied in 1993 or has forgotton what he said. In the interview he did in the Best of Enemies show (the one with James Toney speaking without a slur) - he talked about his love of Boxing and said that Chris should "get out the game" when Jonathon Ross asked him about his reaction to Chris calling Boxing barbaric and brutal.

He talked about how boxing had set up him and Chris for life financially with money and fame that no 9-5 job could bring.

I'm very glad than Nigel has found some inner peace, I'm not the religious type but horses for courses.

However, I think Nigel should adopt the attitude of "I was boxing at a time before I found God, I don't wish to talk about that point of my life" as opposed to bashing it.

It is still because he was such an accomplished and well known BOXER that he can now discuss his new direction and tell many many people of his new direction. So while I am not saying he should be going to every live event or even be a fan, he still should be greatful to what being a former world champion can still bring him.

[josh fg]

Strange how he is christian enough to make this statement about boxing however apparently not christian enough to give up his money (rich man heaven camel eye of needel) Hypocrit

[1southpaw]

i was woundering people go on about nigel benn having inner peace and all that but what do you think would happen if you called him a w***er to his face

[Evander]

from This Is Hertfordshire

What does that mean ?

[Evander]

Funny how he's preaching yet still sinning

What do you mean by that ?

[SticknMove]

I trained with Nigel Benn between the middle of 87 up to the Watson defeat, after which he went over to the States. He never grabbed me as someone who appreciated the more refined qualities of the sport or had a wider interest in it. He just loved to have a tear up, had unlimited amounts of bottle, was phenomenally fit and could bang big time. It was exactly those qualities that made him the fighter he was. And maybe those qualities were a product of his formative years of which I know little (only stories about how aggressive a little bastard he was). He nurtured the snarling, mean mooded and indestuctible image of the Dark Destroyer in those days until he was humbled by Watson. He reinvented himself by going over to the States and came back a better boxer for it. However his hatred for Eubank got the better of him and he succumbed.

It was quite interesting, for me, watching the difference between the relatively inexperienced snarling Benn (that I knew) with another reinvented version of himself, later in his career, doing his ringwalk with a smile on his face reaching out to the audience.

Benn was always a very street smart guy whose journey in life as the Dark Destroyer saw him indulge his celebrity. I know stories and have heard a few more that were/are good anecdotes. The fact that Benn may not have been the most honest of fellas in the past (Stu refers to the Ross interview) has probably led him to the more self reflective mode he is in now. If he can find sancticty in that, then we should not be sanctimonious in criticizing him.

PS refer to Neri’s post.

[Evander]

So either Benn lied in 1993 or has forgotton what he said. In the interview he did in the Best of Enemies show (the one with James Toney speaking without a slur) - he talked about his love of Boxing and said that Chris should "get out the game" when Jonathon Ross asked him about his reaction to Chris calling Boxing barbaric and brutal.

He talked about how boxing had set up him and Chris for life financially with money and fame that no 9-5 job could bring.

I'm very glad than Nigel has found some inner peace, I'm not the religious type but horses for courses.

However, I think Nigel should adopt the attitude of "I was boxing at a time before I found God, I don't wish to talk about that point of my life" as opposed to bashing it.

It is still because he was such an accomplished and well known BOXER that he can now discuss his new direction and tell many many people of his new direction. So while I am not saying he should be going to every live event or even be a fan, he still should be greatful to what being a former world champion can still bring him.

You are going to hold a 29 year old to those comments in front of a packed studio audience.
Are you kidding guy?

What did boxing give Nigel ?

Or maybe the question should be what did Nigel give boxing?

Have a think about that.

I would dearly enjoy seeing the balance sheet of finances when all is said and done.
But my guess is that the papers are going to be a little to hard to find.

But let's go after them anyway just for the sake of it and find out.

Nigel Benn made X amount for the fight.
Short and long term boxing made ?

Good chance boxing is on a winner here

[WildWaylon]

i was woundering people go on about nigel benn having inner peace and all that but what do you think would happen if you called him a w***er to his face

Simple, he would smash your face in, people with violent ways dont change even if they are big churchgoers - As an example I knew a man who would beat you up for saying religion stinks and he was a church leader, but a former hard case who had been in and out of prison for violence, most of his life - Nigel finds peace of mind through religion which is good because Gerald will be on his mind every day for the rest of his life and he needs something to get him through - He is bound to have mixed feelings about boxing, it made him rich but it also made him an unhappy man - He gave his all in his fights and the Nigel Benn era was full of excitement - Benn is not full of bullshit, a lot of what he says makes sense from his perspective.

[Old bones Ian]

Funny how he's preaching yet still sinning

What do you mean by that ?

Think it was an Indiscretion with a lady recently, Nigel admitted to it

[stujones]

So either Benn lied in 1993 or has forgotton what he said. In the interview he did in the Best of Enemies show (the one with James Toney speaking without a slur) - he talked about his love of Boxing and said that Chris should "get out the game" when Jonathon Ross asked him about his reaction to Chris calling Boxing barbaric and brutal.

He talked about how boxing had set up him and Chris for life financially with money and fame that no 9-5 job could bring.

I'm very glad than Nigel has found some inner peace, I'm not the religious type but horses for courses.

However, I think Nigel should adopt the attitude of "I was boxing at a time before I found God, I don't wish to talk about that point of my life" as opposed to bashing it.

It is still because he was such an accomplished and well known BOXER that he can now discuss his new direction and tell many many people of his new direction. So while I am not saying he should be going to every live event or even be a fan, he still should be greatful to what being a former world champion can still bring him.

You are going to hold a 29 year old to those comments in front of a packed studio audience.
Are you kidding guy?

What did boxing give Nigel ?

Or maybe the question should be what did Nigel give boxing?

Have a think about that.

I would dearly enjoy seeing the balance sheet of finances when all is said and done.
But my guess is that the papers are going to be a little to hard to find.

But let's go after them anyway just for the sake of it and find out.

Nigel Benn made X amount for the fight.
Short and long term boxing made ?

Good chance boxing is on a winner here

Its not about who has earned the most coin Boxing or Nigel necessarily though. What Boxing has given him is a platform to share his experiences to discuss his religious view and to be a "servant to God" in a far bigger way than say if he was working in the Building industry before finding God. Boxing is still giving him something that not many other jobs can give him, something Benn rightly pointed out in 1993.

Of Course people are allowed to change their views.... The one thing I really would like to see Nigel address though publically though is Chris' views on the sport. At the time, it was the one major (of many) differences between the two.... Chris is views on the sport is a major factor into why he was treated as the "villan" and Nigel as the peoples champions.... Nigel sided with the people in calling him a hypocrit. Maybe its time Nigel can publically say "you know something, Chris was right all along".

[Max Molyneux]

http://itn.co.uk/news/ed525e404931cbf3c ... 9d333.html

Video with him auctioning them off too.

[KO Artist]

i was woundering people go on about nigel benn having inner peace and all that but what do you think would happen if you called him a w***er to his face

Simple, he would smash your face in, people with violent ways dont change even if they are big churchgoers - As an example I knew a man who would beat you up for saying religion stinks and he was a church leader, but a former hard case who had been in and out of prison for violence, most of his life - Nigel finds peace of mind through religion which is good because Gerald will be on his mind every day for the rest of his life and he needs something to get him through - He is bound to have mixed feelings about boxing, it made him rich but it also made him an unhappy man - He gave his all in his fights and the Nigel Benn era was full of excitement - Benn is not full of bullshit, a lot of what he says makes sense from his perspective.

If you called him a w he would probably laugh at you. He could decapitate you with one punch but what will that prove?

My guess he has better self control. In fact I know he has, from a past experience.

[Arnie]

Used to love him BUT he is full of shit now. Should name him Charles

[KO Artist]

Used to love him BUT he is full of shit now. Should name him Charles

I dont know that he is full of shit. His religious turn might be genuine.

Would his Charles name refer to past or current behaviour?

I reckon he is selling the belts to give some money to the church, but I reckon he is skint too.