Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank II WBC super- middleweight championship "Judgement Day" official on-site programme, 9th October 1993, Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester.

Condition very good

Draw Pts 12

Judges scoring: Harry Gibbs (115-113 Eubank), Chuck Hassett (114-114), Carol Castellano (115-113 Benn)

Price: £25

Perhaps, one of the most exciting fighters ever, Nigel Benn knocked out his first 21 opponents, most of them in the early stages. Benn brought undoubted excitement to his fights, his punches pole axing a succession of challengers. Lethal left hooks, robust right uppercuts, swinging right crosses; they all were capable of rendering an opponent senseless. Also, a brutal body puncher when he had the patience to not headhunt, which is an area he had problems with. He was careless, though, fighting sometimes with such wreck-less abandon that led to some of his opponents to landing a lot of shots on him, and coming close to stopping him. This happened during a fight in October 1988, with Anthony Logan. Be that as it may, what heightened Benn’s appeal was that he appeared to be most dangerous when hurt. Logan, for all the inconvenience caused, ended up unconscious on the ring canvas. Benn had Nunn and Graham screaming to the hills.

Benn's power was proven beyond doubt against Doug DeWitt and Iran Barkley in America in world middle weight title fights, Thomas Hearns' right cross had failed to floor DeWitt or Barkley once in 15 rounds total yet Benn's bombs floored DeWitt and Barkley six times in under four minutes in total. Benn also knocked out Robbie Sims for the first time in his career before moving up in weight and maturing into more of a counter punching style that often saw some beautiful feinting and nice defensive moves as well as the discipline to punch to the body and pace himself. Benn proved his versatility by often out boxing opponents after his losses to Michael Watson and Chris Eubank; those losses taught him that being a forward marching barbarian could be capitalized on by good defense. So Benn brought out his boxing skills later in his career until bumping into Gerald McClellan, who Benn decided to slug with to stand a chance of beating. McClellan was the WBC world middle weight champ and a power hitter boxer coming off a chilling 93-second rematch demolition of Jackson, but Benn out fought him and out punched him by bringing back the old Dark Destroyer from his fighting days in what was his career defining win. McClellan was tragically left wheel chair bound at the hands of Benn, and that combined with it being one war too many, meant that Benn never was the same again. Every inch the Dark Destroyer, and his overhand right smash took Iran Barkley and Gerald McClellan to their knees in title defenses.

Personally, I don't think Bernard Hopkins or Jermain Taylor could beat an undefeated Mike McCallum, nor an undefeated Herol Graham. In my opinion, A young Michael Nunn, had the boxing ability in him to blow away Hopkins and Taylor, on the same night. Moreover, the monstrous punching Julian Jackson would have likely also knocked them out, and Nigel Benn would have given them fits. Personally, I don't think Hopkins or Taylor are as good as these multi weight greats of the 1980's and 1990's.





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.