BoxRec

Kevin Bennett really struggled to make lightweight for his Commonwealth title fight with Michael Muya. It was no secret. TheGoods posted it on here several days ago (see the thread 'Cooking up a Storm!'). We saw what effect that has on a fighter late in a fight. That was worrying. I don't wish to get too melodramatic here, but it's a fact that nearly all ring fatalities occur late in a fight involving a fighter who has struggled to make the weight.
I just hope Bennett is okay.

your right Bennie - Benny has campaigned as a light welter as a pro and i'm sure he boxed as high as welter for the army- he has boiled himself down to lightweight at Neil Fannons gym in the hope that it will be a role reversal and he will be the naturally bigger/stronger man ( ie a natural 10 stoner) in a fight against a true lightweight - he said as much himself when he was beaten by Gary Ryder a couple of of years ago. Ryder looked huge that night and he himself had probably come down from 10st7lbs

Yes, I too was very concerned for him at the end. It is always a worry when someone recieves oxygen.

I hope Bennett can see this as a lucky escape, he's acquired a title at Lightweight, but now has too move up.

As Bennie said tradegies happen more to often with fighters struggling to make weight, there are things that the BBBoC and other boards can to do help matters (i.e. include eletrolytes in their drinks, so that they can rehydrate during the fight). However, were in the dark ages as far as this is concerned (boxing, not just british boxing). Frank Maloney had a good suggestion with fans placed behind the lights to make the ring cooler (why haven't these been employed).

Hope Bennett is fine.

Yes, Bennett is okay. His trainer Michael Marsden rang up Boxing News this morning just to confirm that everything was okay with him.

Roy Jones, of course, also showed how severe weightmaking can affect one's performance.

bennie wrote:Roy Jones, of course, also showed how severe weightmaking can affect one's performance.

Too true, he's very lucky.

It was a kinda surreal situation where the loser was just chilling in the ring, waiting for the announcement, looking pretty fresh, whereas the winner was receiving medical attention and was eventually taken away on doctor's orders.

There can't be too many fighters who miss the results announcment of a fight they've just won.

One thing is for certain - Benny wasn't weight drained, he made it quite easily. I even joked at the weigh in that his next fight would be at Super Feather.

I thought you might react to the thread, John, given you were the promoter of the show. Sounds like you have a great drawcard in Cookie.
As for Bennett-Muya, I have been mulling over Bennett's alarming fade in the closing rounds. Kenyans are renowned for their stamina (think of their runners) and Muya might have pushed Kevin harder than we suspected and it was a natural case of the Hartlepool man being exhausted near the finish.
One thing's for sure, his next two or three fights will provide the answer.

JohnShep wrote:One thing is for certain - Benny wasn't weight drained, he made it quite easily. I even joked at the weigh in that his next fight would be at Super Feather.

John, I'm sure its a bit early to say but by that comment is it far to assume the Benny will continue at Lightweight.

It might be worth considering that many fighters would have caved in when faced with such a crisis, with the subsequent emphasis being put on the fact that the fighter "could absorb the shots early but not once he started to tire". BennetT deserves full credit for staying on his feet all the way through that nightmare. And to be fair the Kenyan, while not a banger, clearly knew what he was doing in there and did not seem affected in any way by being a away from home.

A terrible but valuable experience for Bennett.

Kilburn wrote:It might be worth considering that many fighters would have caved in when faced with such a crisis, with the subsequent emphasis being put on the fact that the fighter "could absorb the shots early but not once he started to tire". BennetT deserves full credit for staying on his feet all the way through that nightmare. And to be fair the Kenyan, while not a banger, clearly knew what he was doing in there and did not seem affected in any way by being a away from home.

A terrible but valuable experience for Bennett.

Top post, Kilburn. Yes, Bennett got through it and won the fight. He deserves to be a proper champion.

Good thread, the late Pedro Alcazar is a perfect example of why weight making is something not to be taken lightly.

Paul Ingle, Spencer Oliver, Gerald McClennon all struggled with the weight.

The list is endless I'm afraid.

stujones wrote:Paul Ingle, Spencer Oliver, Gerald McClennon all struggled with the weight.

The list is endless I'm afraid.

As I mentioned at the outset of the thread, the link between the ring fatalities and weightmaking is fact. How many heavyweights collapse and die late in fights? I can't think of one. But I think of Bradley Stone, Gerald McClellan, Johnny Owen (though he was said to have a thin skull), James Murray, Kiko Bejines and Duk-Koo Kim.
We've been assured by the promoter that Bennett made the weight comfortably, so this is just a side issue.