For over three decades, one fight has stood above all others in British boxing history. A fight so ferocious, so breathtaking, and so utterly compelling that it has been crowned the greatest in UK boxing folklore.
November 18, 1990, Birmingham NEC. A night of destiny for one man who was simply the best.
In one corner stood Nigel Benn, ‘The Dark Destroyer’, a wrecking machine with 25 knockouts in 28 fights, a man who entered the ring with pure aggression in his heart armed with granite-like fists.
In the other stood Chris Eubank, unbeaten, unshakable, a master of both movement and the art of mind games but was viewed as the pretender. The animosity between them was was real, raw, and dangerous.
Not much has changed in over 30 years.
Now, for the first time in history, Chris Eubank has unravelled this legendary fight, moment by moment, round by round, in a fascinating and exclusive analysis on his podcast ‘Call Chris Eubank’. This is not just a recollection, it is an unfiltered, deeply personal breakdown from the man who lived it, fought it, and ultimately emerged victorious.
Eubank does not merely tell the story of the fight he breathlessly reconstructs it, relives it, and deconstructs it with the precision of a well schooled warrior. His words place you inside the ring, letting you feel every shot, every strategy, every moment of doubt and defiance. The cuts, the hammer punches like bombs, nothing is left to the imagination.
From the first second, this was war. Eubank describes the terrifying intensity of Benn’s assault, the wild hooks, the sheer venom in his punches and why he had to match him and then dictate the fight.
“He came to destroy me,” Eubank says. I had to absorb his power, defuse his rage, and then impose my will and carefully attack and withdraw. I knew trading punches would give him an advantage and I fought cleverly in order to win.”
Benn landed monstrous hooks that made Eubank’s legs stiffen, but he refused to buckle, he never gave up. He fired back, driving Benn away with a razor-sharp combinations.
Eubank tells calmly how in round four, a moment of agony should have ended the fight. A devastating uppercut from Benn crashed into Eubank’s chin, causing him to bite clean through his tongue. Blood fills his mouth, warm, thick, suffocating. He swallowed it, knowing that if the doctors realised how bad it wass, they may stop the fight.
“I hid it from my corner. I could taste the blood, but I refused to let it control me.” Added Eubank.
Eubank analyses the later rounds as he finds his rhythm and begins to land clean counters, threading precise uppercuts through Benn’s defence. As the momentum shifts Eubank explains in detail how and why he knew he could win the historic fight.
Benn’s right eye started to swell and eventually closed, the bruises of war beginning to show. Benn was relentless, always dangerous, always ready to turn the tide and Eubank explains how his ultimate respect for his opponent never wavered even when he had him on the ropes.
Round nine was the grand finale. After a knockdown in the eighth which Eubank protested was a slip the pretender stepped it up.
Benn was exhausted and running on fumes, was rocked following a brutal straight right. His legs betrayed him. Sensing the end, Eubank pressed forward, unleashing a vicious right-left combination that left Benn dazed. A final left hook connected. Benn stumbled, eyes vacant, and with just five seconds left in the round, the referee stepped in.
Chris Eubank was the new WBO Middleweight Champion of the World.
Chris Eubank said:
“Reliving that fight, round by round, was like stepping back into the trenches of war. The intensity, the pain, the adrenaline; it all came rushing back.
“I could feel every punch, every moment of doubt, every surge of defiance. But more than anything, I remembered the will. The absolute refusal to be broken. That night, I was pushed beyond my limits, and in that fire, I proved to myself and the world who I truly was.”
Call Chris Eubank is a one-of-a-kind experience where fans set the agenda. No subject is off-limits – boxing, life, love, philosophy. Eubank, with his signature wit and wisdom, answers questions from listeners, offering insights only a man of his experience and stature can provide.
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This is your chance to step inside the mind of a champion. The warrior. The showman. The legend.
Simply the best.
