Nigel Benn vs Mike Chilambe Commonwealth middleweight championship official on-site poster also featuring:-

Anthony Logan vs Chris Eunbank
Johnny Melfah vs Tony Foster
Colin McMillan vs Steve Pollard
Terry Morrill vs Newton Barnett
Winston May vs Simon Eubank

8th February 1989, The Royal Albert Hall, London. Measuring 24" x 16 1/2"

Condition very good (has one vertical fold and one horizontal fold. Some marking to corners where previously affixed to a gym wall and carelessly removed.

Benn W KO 1

Eubank W Pts over 8 rounds

Price: £40

A very eccentric personality who is known to have enjoyed the nightlife, Benn had a record of 41 wins and 1 loss as an amateur boxer. He turned professional in 1987 with a win over Graeme Ahmed in Croydon. This win opened a streak of 22 consecutive knockout wins for The Dark Destroyer. The streak extended until 1989. Among the achievements reached by Benn during the knockout win streak were beating Fermin Chirino, winning the British commonwealth's Middleweight title with a win over Abdul Umaru, and retaining it against David Noel, brother of former world Lightweight champion Claude Noel. But then, he lost the title to Michael Watson, by a knockout in round six. With that, he also lost his record as an undefeated fighter. In 1987, Benn was approached by TV presenter Pogus Caesar who wanted to make a short documentary on the boxer for 'Here and Now' Central Television's flagship ethnic series. Filmed in the East End of London Benn spoke about growing up on the tough streets, and his life in the army -the film also included footage of Benn at his most devastating.

His next fight, against Jorge Amparo, was the first fight abroad for Benn and also the first Nigel Benn bout to last the full distance, when he won a 10 round decision over Amparo in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. After two more wins, he got his first opportunity at a world championship, when he faced WBO world Middleweight champion Doug DeWitt in Atlantic City. Benn crowned himself world champion by knocking out DeWitt (who had lasted 12 rounds against Thomas Hearns) in round eight. His next defense came against former WBC world champion Iran Barkley (who beat Hearns twice). He knocked Barkley out in round one. Then, he lost the world title, when he got knocked out in round nine by countryman Chris Eubank.

In 1991, he beat Marvin Hagler's half brother, Robbie Sims, by a knockout in round seven, and then he embarked in another winning streak, which would reach ten wins in a row. He won the WBC's world Super Middleweight title with a knockout in round four of defending world champion Mauro Galvano, after having beaten his future conqueror and world champion "Sugar Boy" Malinga by a decision in ten. He retained his title against Nick Piper, Galvano and Lou Gent before engaging in a rematch with Eubank. While Benn's second longest winning streak came to a halt, he retained the world title with a twelve round draw against Eubank. Next came Henry Wharton and Juan Carlos Gimenez, both of whom lost on points to Benn for the world title.

Benn's next fight would change his life forever: World Middleweight champion Gerald McClellan, eager to move up in weight and become a two time world champion just like Benn had done years before, challenged Benn. The fight was shown to many countries worldwide, and in the United States it was carried by Showtime. It was an eagerly anticipated match-up with many boxing fans tuning in, and McClellan dropped Benn out of the ring in round one. In round eight, Benn was dropped again. Seemingly on the verge of losing his title, Benn kept on charging, however, making for what several magazines called one of the fights of the year. In round ten, McClellan suddenly went down on one knee and the referee counted him the ten seconds to end the bout while he was still on one knee. McClellan collapsed when he went back to his corner and the scene inside the ring went berzerk, so much that Benn did not know what was happening until he was being interviewed by Showtime's commentator Dr. Ferdie Pacheco. McClellan was taken out on a stretcher and with an oxygen mask out of the ring, and he lost consciousness on his way to the hospital. He wouldn't recover consciousness for a very long time.

Benn spent the night at the emergency room waiting for news from his ring foe. The following morning, the McClellan family arrived in London and Benn was by their side. McClellan survived, but he has been blind ever since, and he was paralyzed for a very long period of time. Recently, he began to walk with the help of a cane. The following week after the fight, an article about it was published by Sports Illustrated.

According to Benn's trainer, this fight took out all the fighting spirit from Benn. As it happens many times when a tragedy of this type happens to a boxer, Benn had an ordinary record after that bout. He retained the title by knocking out future world champion Vincenzo Niardiello, and then he won a non-title bout, but that turned out to be his last career win. He lost to Malinga by a 12 round decision to lose the WBC world title, and then he was given a chance at the WBO's world title, but he lost to Steve Collins by a knockout in round four, after breaking his ankle during their fight in Manchester. An immediate rematch was ordered, also in Manchester, and that time around, Benn lost by a knockout in round seven.









Christopher Livingstone Eubanks (later opting to delete the 's' from his surname) was born on 8th August, 1966, in Dulwich, London and spent nearly two years in Jamaica (from two months old to two years old). On his return, he lived in Stoke Newington, Dalston, Hackney and then Peckham. He grew up in poverty.

Chris attended Bellingden Junior School, and then Thomas Carlton Secondary School from where he was suspended eighteen times in one year and then expelled. He then attended Peckham Manor School, from where he was suspended five times in four weeks and then also expelled. Chris was then put into care.

He was then placed in various institutions by the Social Services: The Hollies in Sidcup, Kent, for one month; Yastrid Hall in North Wales for one and a half years; Stanford House in Shepherds Bush for seven weeks for assessment; St. Vincent's in Dartford, Kent, for one month; Orchard Lodge, Crystal Palace, for seven weeks for assessment; Karib in Peckham, London, for one month; and then, finally, Davy's Street School (care facility) in Peckham for one month.

His mother had left for New York when he was eight years old. At the age of 16, his father sent him to New York to live with his mother in the South Bronx.

Eubank made a fresh start in the South Bronx, quitting alcohol and marijuana, attending church and studying at Morris High School (he graduated in the summer of 1986). In his spare time he trained at the Jerome Boxing Club on Westchester Avenue (his older brothers, Peter and Simon, who were twins, were both boxers back in Peckham). Eubank became obsessed with trying to improve his skills at the boxing gym and trained seven days a week, becoming an amateur boxer and winning the 1984 New York Spanish Golden Gloves. He then reached the semi-finals of the 1985 New York Daily News Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, which is where his reputation for controversy began as he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after biting his opponent's shoulder. His drive to succeed in boxing came through his drive to become an accepted individual.

He made his debut at the Atlantis Hotel against Timmy Brown, shortly after his 19th birthday. It was an eye-catching display, the young man vaulting the top rope and showing agility, skill and power. He won over four rounds on points, and four more four-rounders followed (all in Atlantic City) with four more points wins. He finally returned to the UK in January 1988, making Brighton (where his brothers Peter and Simon had settled) his adopted home. He became obsessed with becoming a world champion. In October 1988, when he was 10 and 0 as a professional boxer, Eubank first started calling out Nigel Benn, and they would become arch-rivals.

In 1990 he beat highly rated Brazilian Reginaldo Dos Santos in 20 seconds to win an inter-continental title and a world title shot, then won the WBO world middleweight title against Nigel Benn in a classic encounter that was later released on DVD. Eubank would defend the title successfully against Dan Sherry, Gary Stretch and finally in an excellent match with Michael Watson. This concluded Eubank's career as a middleweight, with a 28-0 record.
In 1991 he was involved in what experts regard as the greatest fight in a British ring where he sent the ill-fated Michael Watson into a coma. Eubank was behind on all scorecards when he rose from the canvas at the end of the 11th round to unleash a devastating uppercut to Watsons jaw. The blow was exacerbated when a left hook quickened the stunned Watsons' fall into the ropes. The bout was somehow allowed to continue briefly into the 12th, but Watson collapsed afterwards and almost died. Eubank contemplated quitting the sport.

The Eubank v Watson rematch is considered one of the greatest of all time, and commentator Reg Guttteridge claimed he had; "never seen a more dramatic end to a world title fight".

The Watson rematch won Eubank a second title, the WBO world super-middleweight championship. His middleweight title relinquished, Eubank began defending his new crown at the higher weight of 12st to which he was more suited.
After injuring Watson permanently, Eubank never again showed his desire to win by knockout, and became an 'out-fighter', winning many fights on points and retaining his WBO world super-middleweight title.

Nigel Benn moved up to super middleweight and became WBC champion. The pair agreed to meet in a WBC/WBO unification rematch. In 1993 the rivals would engage in another contest named 'Judgement Day', and watched by millions, fought thrillingly to a draw.

Don King negotiated the contracts so that he would own both the winner and the loser of Eubank v Benn 2. Barry Hearn claimed that as a draw was not written into the contract, Eubank was free to sign a new deal with him. He did.

Eubank, despite losing his killer instinct after the Watson tragedy, still continued to box and claim scalps. He beat former IBF world super-middle and future WBC world light-heavyweight champion Graciano Rocchigiani, in an infamous bout staged in Berlin. Eubank memorably infuriated the partisan crowd by strutting and posing between rounds. Former IBF world super-middleweight king Lindell Holmes was easily beaten, as was two-time WBC world super-middleweight champion 'Sugar Boy' Malinga, European champion Ray Close and American champion Ron Esset.

After the Benn rematch and the Rocchigiani victory, Eubank signed an eight fight £10million deal with Sky Sports, and fought in Ireland, South Africa, Manchester, London and Millstreet. Fights in Paris, Rome and the Middle East to conclude the program were scuppered when Eubank lost his title via a split decision in March 1995. In his 44th fight, having accepted at short notice to fight Steve Collins, his unbeaten record and title were lost. Collins was a stand-in for Ray Close, who had failed an MRI scan. Eubank had Collins reeling but seemmed bereft of his old killer instinct. In the rematch, Eubank had Collins bleeding and disorientated but would not 'bludgeon' his opponent to a knockout, after the Watson tragedy. Chris, with not a mark on his face, lost on points. He retired at 45-2.
Chris Eubank returned to boxing a year later, organising a two fight program to box where he would have defended his title in the sky deal, beating Luis Barrera in Cairo, Egypt, and Camilo Alarcon in Dubai. He then signed a deal with Frank Warren to fight again on Sky.

Eubank again accepted a title fight at short notice again when Collins retired before facing Joe Calzaghe. Chris had returned to training for a challenge for the WBC intercontinental light-heavyweight title, with a view to a world title shot at that weight. Yet with his old title vacated, he accepted the offer to try to regain his old title, facing a young and fit Joe Calzaghe. After an exhausting two week weight draining regimen Eubank fought bravely in losing a 12 round decision. Calzaghe, who has held the WBO title for ten years since that fight, claims Eubank gave him the hardest fight of his career. This proved to be the last fight of his super-middleweight career, with his record standing at 45 wins and 3 losses.

His two 1998 comeback fights against Carl Thompson at cruiserweight saw the once retired Eubank bravely lose to a older but fresher champion of a much heavier weight than Eubank had fought at for a decade. Eubank lost narrowly on points in the first fight despite flooring Thompson in the fourth round, and in the second was narrowly ahead on the scorecards when the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor at the end of the tenth, though Eubank protested bitterly.

The losses late in his career saw the British public respond warmly to him, as he proved his bravery which had not been tested since the wars with Benn and Watson. Eubank retired as a long unbeaten fighter, and two weight world champion for six years.